Pubdate: Tue, 11 Apr 2006
Source: Bossier Press-Tribune (LA)
Copyright: 2006 Bossier Press-Tribune
Contact:  http://www.bossierpress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4132
Author: Theresa Gardner
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

DARE TO SAY NO

Local students participate in anti-drug program

"I promise to never use drugs," was the pledge each fifth grader at Benton 
Middle School made as each of them read aloud what the D.A.R.E. program 
means to them. More than 20,000 Bossier Parish fifth grade students have 
been through the program since it began in the school system, and DARE 
instructor Judy Pate says she takes her job as their instructor very seriously.

"This program has been very successful in teaching these students to choose 
their friends wisely and avoid peer pressure," Pate said. "It is my job to 
make sure these students know the seriousness and consequences of using 
drugs and alcohol. When I hear one of the students read about how much they 
appreciate Miss Pate, that means a lot. But it also means a lot to hear 
some past students when they come up to me and say that they were in a 
situation where there were drugs and or alcohol and they remembered what 
they learned in DARE."

Pate explained that the program's main teaching tool is called "The 
Decision Making Model," which uses the letters D.A.R.E. to teach the 
curriculum.

D - Define -What is the problem, challenge or opportunity that you are 
faced with. A - Access - What are my choices R - Respond - Make a choice, 
use the facts and information you have gathered. E - Evaluate - Review your 
decision. Did you make a good choice?

D.A.R.E. is currently in 75 percent of school districts nationwide. 
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse's Monitoring the Future 
study, teenage drug use continues to fall, decreasing 19 percent during the 
past four years.

Before being allowed to teach D.A.R.E., a police officer must successfully 
complete 80 hours of intensive training. Unfortunately, not all police 
officers who begin the training complete it. The foundation of the D.A.R.E. 
curricula includes science-based principles of prevention, as well as 
age-appropriate reading material.

Since 1997 there have been 18 studies conducted on D.A.R.E. showing 
positive results. The most eye-opening study was published by the Journal 
of the National Medical Association showing that D.A.R.E graduates are five 
times less likely to begin smoking than non-D.A.R.E. graduates are.

"Sometimes my students come in and tell me that their parents smoke," Pate 
said. "I tell them that their parents are adults and when they grow up if 
they chose to smoke it will be their choice. I hope they never start."

Pate said many times the parents approach her to say that they quit smoking 
as a result of their child telling them what they learned in D.A.R.E.

"That always makes me feel good," she said. "When the parent quits smoking 
it breaks that cycle and the chances of the child starting are less than 
before."
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D