Pubdate: Fri, 18 Mar 2005 Source: Kelowna Capital News (CN BC) Copyright: 2005, West Partners Publishing Ltd. Contact: http://www.kelownacapnews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1294 Author: Virginia Balfour Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) DARE GRADS READY TO SAY NO TO DRUGS Just say no. That's what Raymer elementary school Grade 5 student Ryan Karoly will always tell his friends when it comes to doing drugs and alcohol. The phrase has been coined for decades but has not lost its relevance for a group of 42 students at Raymer. If drugs and alcohol ever had an alluring edge in the minds of these students, it doesn't anymore. "I'll never smoke or do drugs or anything like that," said Karoly, convinced through the facts and evidence presented to him throughout the course to stay away from substance use. On March 15, Karoly along with the rest of his classmates graduated from DARE, the drug abuse resistance program sponsored by the school district, after 10 weeks of education on different issues related to drugs, alcohol and tobacco. Classmate Madison Roberts says the most important thing she learned had to do with dealing with peer pressure and how to respond to it. "It will help me make good decisions in the future," said Erik Mason, agreeing with Roberts. It is not likely that many of the students have already experienced social or health situations resulting from exposure to drugs and alcohol, said teacher Melody Carr. But providing the education and increasing the awareness at this age is a proactive, preventative approach, she said. Students were informed about an array of drugs including marijuana, tobacco and crystal methamphetamine and the consequences related to each. "It's definitely age appropriate. Kids are seeing it in the TV advertisements they see and the music and movies they watch. It's all there,"said Carr. The kids went through a workbook and engaged in a variety of activities from role simulations to writing essays to increase their awareness. Once a week an RCMP constable spent an hour educating and talking to the students about different issues related to drugs and alcohol. Raymer is one of several schools that were offered the program across the school district. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek