Pubdate: Wed, 02 Mar 2005
Source: Revelstoke Times Review (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005 Bowes Publishers
Contact:  http://www.revelstoketimesreview.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2139
Author: Shelley Irish
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.)

DARE-ING KIDS THINK PROGRAM COULD SAVE THEIR LIVES

Eighteen students from Mt. Begbie Elementary School have dared to promise 
never to take drugs.

Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) is a program that instructs young 
people on the dangers of illicit drug use and for the past several weeks, 
RCMP Const. David Gale has delivered this message during his free time to 
the grade seven students of Mt. Begbie.

The effort has not been wasted.

"DARE will probably save my life," said Tessa Manners, one of the essay 
winners at the graduation ceremony held last Thursday evening.

RCMP Staff Sgt. Randy Brown was on hand that night to congratulate the 
young grads as he was instrumental in bringing the DARE program to the 
country and the province in 1995.

"There is no silver bullet," Brown said considering the war on drugs. "But 
a consistent program was needed."

"It (DARE) plants seeds and we know that through time the seeds will take 
root. It develops a relationship between our office and students and the 
community," said Brown.

The program encourages youth to stand up against negative peer pressure and 
to make informed decisions that will affect their physical and emotional 
health.

"I get to see in their handshakes that there is a lot of self-confidence 
and a lot of self-esteem in these kids," Gale said after congratulating 
each student with their certificate of achievement.

The class's teacher Mrs. Matsushita said that the program is "absolutely 
pivotal."

Presently the statistic of Canadian children in grade seven that have been 
drunk is 14 percent.

Matsushita said to the class, "This is your challenge: After making good 
decisions influence others to lower the national average."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom