Grade 5 students at Ecole North Oyster celebrated their completion of the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program Wednesday, Dec. 2 with a ceremony at the school.
And, like Joey, one of the graduates, they had all learned to say ‘no thanks’ to drugs, alcohol, and a lot of other destructive activities and behaviours that often end up putting young people on the skids.
“For 10 weeks we challenge them to think outside the box, to come up with solutions of their own,” said Ladysmith RCMP Cst. Jo Anne Ruppenthal, who has been delivering the program in schools for more than 10 years.
That’s a long time, but Ruppenthal hasn’t lost her enthusiasm for DARE. And there’s always a new twist, sometimes an extra special one – Joey, as well as being an Ecole North Oyster student, is her son.
Support for the program remains strong since its launch in Los Angeles in 1983, during a period of “unparalleled drug abuse among youth.” Parents, educators and the students themselves appreciate the information and messages DARE delivers.
“I just think it’s such a valuable program and I’m just so proud of all of you – congratulations,” Ecole North Oyster Principal Jacqueline Catchpole told the DARE grads.
DARE remains the most widely used initiation of pre-teens to drug and alcohol awareness in Canada. But there’s still work to be done bringing the wider community, and especially parents, into the picture.
“This is the foundation of our drug awareness program,” RCMP Central Island Drug Awareness Coordinator Cpl. Dave Cusson said, addressing his remarks to parents. “You as parents are the greatest support for these kids going forward.”
He urged the parents to visit the DAREBC.com web site to learn some of the things their children have been taught through the DARE program, and to keep abreast of strategies they can use to help their children resist the lures of drugs and alcohol.
As for the students, he told them to value the certificates they earned in the program. “Don’t throw it on the floor, don’t put it in a drawer, put it on a wall so you will see it every day,” Cusson said.
Noting that street drugs are ‘out there’ and that they are continuing to morph into new and more concentrated forms, he said it’s important to constantly be aware of the threat they pose.
Calum, one of five DARE graduates who presented their projects, said, “It’s important to teach kids about drugs and alcohol so they can make good decisions.”
