DARE INTRODUCES PARENT PROGRAM

The DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) Works Foothills Society invites
interested members of the public to attend its Annual General Meeting on
Monday, Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. in Room 1423 of the Okotoks Health and Wellness
Centre, 11 Cimarron Common.

This year's guest speaker will be Constable Geoff Carpenter who will
present an overview of the DARE Parent Program.

The focus of this program is to increase parents' knowledge and comfort
level as well as to teach them effective techniques for talking frankly and
openly with kids about tobacco, alcohol and drugs.

The Parent Program is new this year and will be offered to adults in
communities throughout the Foothills.

The new Parent Program will complement the DARE program currently delivered
in elementary and junior high schools. DARE is a prevention and life skills
program taught by specially trained police officers to all Grade 6 and
Grade 8 students in the Foothills School Division and Strathcona-Tweedsmuir
School. Through DARE, students learn the life skills they need to say 'no'
to drugs and violence, resist adverse peer pressure, learn to handle stress
and anger constructively and enhance self-esteem.

"We have been teaching DARE in the Foothills since 1998 and we expect many
parents of students taking DARE will be interested in the Parent Program,"
said Geoff Carpenter. "We also expect a good deal of interest from parents
of students who are in high school."

The DARE Works Foothills Society welcomes members of the public to join
them and is expecting a great turnout at its annual general meeting.

Please contact Laurie McCreary-Burke, executive director at 933-4532 or
Geoff Carpenter at 601-1616 for more information about DARE programming or
the annual general meeting.