Emily Plihal
Smoky River Express
Drug Abuse Resistance Education has returned to the Smoky River Region, thanks to the McLennan RCMP detachment.
The program, designed to teach youth about the hazards of using illegal drugs and abusing alcohol, will be held in schools around the region each school semester.
McLennan RCMP Sgt. Ged Dentinger explains there was numerous requests from people in the region to bring the program back into local schools.
“The program began again in February,” says Dentinger. “The first stretch of DARE is being held at Routhier School, where we are teaching nearly 50 students.”
Const. Lindsay Powers is conducting the lessons, but another staff member of McLennan RCMP detachment is also trained to conduct DARE. Grade 5 and 6 students are taking part in the DARE program, which lasts for 10 weeks.
The goal of DARE is to significantly reduce/eliminate the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs and the use of violent behaviour by young people.
“We are teaching kids how to make good decisions about peer pressure,” says Dentinger. “They gain the knowledge of how to respond when introduced to illegal drugs, tobacco and alcohol.”
Smoky River FCSS (Family and Community Support Services) has agreed to manage the funds required to provide the program to local schools. Within the next year, Dentinger says approximately 100 students will be offered the DARE program at schools throughout the region.
“RCMP cover all the costs to implement the program but they do not have funds to provide a graduation ceremony for the students,” says FCSS director Penny Fox.
“The graduation usually includes DARE t-shirts, prizes and a snack for the students and attending parents. This is an important part of the program as it is a way of rewarding the students for completing the course and agreeing to make responsible decisions going forward.”
The general cost of the graduation ceremony is approximately $20 per student.
Dentinger will be approaching the Provincial Court Crown to see if a program can be initiated in the region, where individuals charged with drug possession would donate money to the DARE program. This would be substituted for the fine they’d normally pay to the Alberta government as part of their sentence.
If you would like to show your support and provide the students with a graduation ceremony, FCSS is requesting donations be sent to their office. Cheques can be payable to DARE Program and sent to Smoky River FCSS Box 420 in Falher, Alberta.
