D.A.R.E. stands for "Drug Abuse Resistance
Education." This 17-week program is taught by specially trained Bay County
Sheriff's Office Deputies. Through D.A.R.E., fifth grade students in the Bay County
Public Schools, with the cooperation of their teachers and parents, learn to identify and
resist the social pressures to use dangerous drugs.
D.A.R.E. officers will visit other classes, conduct faculty workshops and present programs
to parent/teacher organizations in addition to their assigned classroom instruction.
D.A.R.E. was originally developed by the Los Angeles Police Department in cooperation with
the Unified School District in 1983. Conceived on the premise that prevention is the
only long-term answer to our drug problem, this innovative program is proving to be
effective and is now taught in schools in all 50 states. The D.A.R.E. program is
positive and substantive. It avoids scare tactics and relies on accurate information
and a straight-forward approach. D.A.R.E. lessons focus on the following:
- Providing accurate information about drugs and
alcohol
- Consequences of using drugs and alcohol
- Teaching students decision-making skills
- Showing students how to resist negative peer pressure
- Suggesting healthy alternatives to drug use
- Building self-esteem
- How to recognize and manage stress
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No matter how well-designed a program is, it is not a success
unless it is accepted by those for whom it is designed. This is why the D.A.R.E.
program is a success. The students are mature enough to deal with the issue of
making decisions about using drugs, and they are younger than the age when statistics show
most drug experimentation begins. D.A.R.E. may be our best opportunity to make a
difference.
In 1988, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Florida Department of
Education, in cooperation with the Florida Police Chiefs Association, selected D.A.R.E. as
on of the best programs to help keep Florida children from becoming involved with drugs.
For more information about D.A.R.E. contact the Community Services Division at (850)
747-4700 ext. 2300 or send email to cmsd@bayso.org |
