DARE program to expand here

While the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program has been taught in grade six classrooms across the district for several years, it soon will be extended to include 10th-graders.
Groups such as the OPP, the School Violence Prevention Team, and the district Substance Abuse Program have worked at making the program a reality here.
“It was something that had been out there for a long time,” noted SVPT chair Patti Jo Reid. “We’d mentioned it at [our] meetings and finally Cst. Cam Howard said he’d take it on.
“It’s become important to continue students’ education at a high school level and not just leave them hanging at the end of grade six,” she stressed.
“Last spring, I went down to Jefferson, Mo., and trained with the state troopers there on instructing the program at a higher level,” said Cst. Howard, who also sits on the SVPT here.
As to why the program couldn’t be implemented sooner, Cst. Howard said there’s been just one hitch.
“The thing is, we’re the only community in Canada who’s taken this on. So right now, we’re in the process of ‘Canadianizing’ the workbook, which we’ve been doing for the past few months,” he noted.
He said the big differences were over legal terms.
“For instance, an American felony is called an indictable offence in Canada,” said Cst. Howard. “It’s important to make the distinction because kids get enough of the American terms already through TV.”
“It’s a huge undertaking. Cam has done a wonderful job,” praised Reid.
Cst. Howard explained the difference between the grade six and 10 courses. “[The grade 10 course] is more about general law and the justice system, as well as building good character. It’s very positive stuff,” he remarked.
“We talk to the grade six students about why you shouldn’t take drugs, and focus on the harmful physical effects. It’s tough for them to understand the legal repercussions at that age,” he reasoned.
As the revision process is wrapping up before going to the printers, Cst. Howard noted the expanded program should be in place as soon as possible.
“In my conversations with DARE International, I’ve indicated that we’d get this into the classrooms before the end of the school year.
“It’s kind of a personal goal,” he said.