Pubdate: Thu, 24 Feb 2005
Source: Arizona Daily Sun (AZ)
Copyright: 2005 Arizona Daily Sun
Contact:  http://www.azdailysun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1906
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

DRUG PREVENTION, COMMUNICATION EMPHASIZED

Sgt. Gerry Blair of the Flagstaff Police Department, who supervises
Drug Awareness & Resistance Education officers, said the police
department continues to support prevention efforts.

"Chief McCann has a very strong policy on early prevention education,"
Blair said. "And he believes you can't fight the drug problem strictly
with interdiction and arrests."

"The hope is to save them from even getting involved in a drug-use
lifestyle," Blair said.

The department's two DARE officers have been teaching the curriculum
to every student in the Flagstaff Unified School District on a yearly
basis for the last 10 years, reaching "thousands" of children. Blair
said.

"Does this mean that if children go through DARE that they'll never
use drugs?" Blair asked. "Unfortunately, it does not. If we could
inoculate a child so that they would never use drugs, we would
certainly do that."

But it cannot be done.

"So all we can do is talk to children about the evils of drugs, talk
to them about lifestyles and picking friends that will help them lead
drug-free lives," Blair said. "And hopefully the tools we give them
they will use to live drug-free and healthy lives."

The message to the children is consistent.

"It's a lot easier to stay off of drugs than it is to get off of
drugs," Blair said.

Mount Elden Middle School has two drug-use prevention programs,
including DARE.

What is emphasized at MEMS is communication. Students are able to talk
to teachers about anything.

"Middle school can be a trying time and we let them know they can talk
with teachers or administrators," MEMS Assistant Principal Mark
Williams said.

There are about 900 students at MEMS and the students are broken into
teams of about 115 students. Those students have the same four core
teachers. Those teachers are able to keep tabs on the students and
help them when needed.

Williams said the students at MEMS are good kids and what happened is
an exception to the rule.

"I'm not naively saying there are no drugs," Williams said.

It's just one event that is overshadowing the good things happening at
the school, he said.
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MAP posted-by: Derek