Pubdate: Sat, 13 Jul 2002 Source: Glendale News-Press (CA) Copyright: 2002 Times Community Newspapers Contact: http://www.latimes.com/tcn/glendale/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/167 Author: Gary Moskowitz Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.) STUDENTS DARE TO THINK Sixth-Grade Drug Resistance Program Now in Place in 17 Glendale Elementary Schools SOUTHEAST GLENDALE -- The children in Taleen Mendossian's sixth-grade class at John Muir Elementary School began a seven-week program Friday that will, if nothing else, teach them they have a choice not to do drugs. As discussion of illegal drugs began during a Drug Abuse Resistance Education activity at the school, 10-year-old Ani Chobanyan slowly raised her hand and asked, "If drugs are bad and kill people, why do we still have drugs." Ani was one of 25 students in Mendossian's class who participate in the DARE program, led by Glendale Police Officer Toby Carver. Carver leads the seven-week drug resistance program in sixth-grade classrooms at 17 Glendale elementary schools. "They keep saying a lot of people die, but they still don't get rid of drugs," Ani said. "Since third grade I have been wanting to learn about this. My dad smokes cigarettes and I just want to know more about these things." The DARE program is targeted at sixth-graders because the jump to middle school is considered a crucial time in child development, Carver said. Students who participate are given workbooks and asked to do regular homework assignments on the topic of drugs. Once the course is completed, students get T-shirts and certificates. "What they learn here they can take it or leave it. But the important thing is that they walk out of here knowing they have a choice," Carver said. "I want them to have the confidence to be able to say no and believe that they do not need these drugs to be who they want to be." The program started in Glendale around 1990. Carver has been involved with DARE since 1994. When asked what the definition of a drug is, Mendossian's students responded with words and phrases like "disgusting," "bad for your body," "not cool," "ruining," "deathly" and "dumb." Students described drugs as "ugly" and told Carver drugs mess with people's heads. Mendossian hopes the DARE program will help her children to make autonomous decisions about what's best for them. "I hope they learn how to make appropriate choices for themselves for those times when parents and adults are not around. They need to hear these things from various different people in the community," Mendossian said. - --- MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager