DARE PROGRAM A POSITIVE INFLUENCE

Ontario Provincial Police in Sioux Lookout are asking businesses and
community service clubs in Sioux Lookout if they DARE to assist police in
teaching the community's youth how to make the right choices concerning
alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and other drugs.

Sioux Lookout OPP Community Services Officer Mark Gaudet was joined by For
Frances OPP CSO Caroline Spencer in a presentation about the Drug Abuse
Resistance Education (DARE) program to businesses and community service
clubs Thursday afternoon at OPP headquarters in Sioux Lookout.

Gaudet will be conducting the program in Sioux Lookout starting in January
with Grade students from Hudson and Sioux Mountain Public Schools and
Sacred Heart School.

The DARE program taught in Fort Frances for almost a decade, is currently
targeting students in Grades 3,6 and 10.

Spencer, a teacher of the program for three years, explained, "The kids
build life skills from the program. It's not just about drugs and alcohol
and violence. It's life skills that they can use anywhere in their growing
years. I'm passionate about it and I think it reflects in the way they
participate in the class."

Spencer said the program isn't about preaching abstinence, but rather
educating students about the consequences of their decisions.

"The reality is that they're going to make their own decisions. So our job
as their instructors is to arm them with all the information to make the
right decisions. If you tell a child, you can't do it, what's the first
thing they do? They go and do it. So instead of saying you can't do it,
you say, okay this is what's going to happen if you do it. This is what
might happen if you don't do it. So you give them those good and bad
consequences and they come to the decision, hey, you know what? Drugs and
alcohol are the wrong path for me. That's our message more than anything."

Think Grade 3 students are too young to know anything about drugs or
alcohol? Think again, said Spencer. Recently she asked a Grade 3 student
what types of drugs that student had heard of and that student replied,
crystal meth.

Does the program work?

Spencer said that on the community's 2004 policing for results survey, a
telephone survey conducted within the community, 92per cent of respondents
stated they know what the DARE program was about and they felt it was a
positive influence on local youth.

Gaudet explained that community partners for the program are essential to
help pay for the course materials and any teaching aids required.

Gaudet would like another officer from the detachment to receive the
training and he would like to receive additional training to teach the
program at the high school level.

Sioux Lookout's Community Policing Committee has been the program's main
sponsor. The committee has purchased a laptop computer and projector to
assist Gaudet in his presentation.

The committee has also set up a DARE bank account.

Gaudet received positive feedback following the presentation, stating that
some businesses signed up to support the program right after the meeting.

Home Hardware owner Tom Nebbs was in attendance for the presentation and
commented, "It was great." The best thing to see is that our officers want
to be there in the presence of the kids so kids have someone to talk to,
feel comfortable with, and they're being reached at a young age when it's
important and it's going to be followed through to the end, which is great.
It is all good stuff."

Joy Bridgwater represented the Northern Lights Credit Union at the meeting.
"I think this is great. The biggest key is to educate the kids when they're
young," she said.

CPC past chair Candace LaFrance commented, "I think this presentation that
was given to us today was absolutely wonderful. I believe that to have DARE
in the schools is not a nice to have. It's something that fills in the gaps
that maybe the main curriculum doesn't teach. It's also taught from someone
who has a direct connection to the pitfalls of what drugs and alcohol,
tobacco, can have. So I think that this is a win-win for Sioux Lookout.

Anyone who would like more information on the DARE program or would like to
sponsor it is urged to contact Gaudet at 737-2020 or speak with a member of
the CPC executive.