DARE Program
TO SAY NO TO DRUGS!
A cooperative effort between,
the Montgomery County Sheriff's Department,
the Montgomery County Commissioners,
and the Public, Private and Parochial Schools.
HOW DARE WORKS
D.A.R.E (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) is a drug abuse prevention education program designed to equip elementary school children with skills for resisting peer pressure to experiment with tobacco, drugs and alcohol. One of the unique features of Project DARE is the use of Deputy Sheriff's to teach a formal curriculum to classroom students.
By targeting young children, DARE seeks to prevent adolescent substance abuse, thus reducing the demand for drugs. DARE lessons focus on the following points:
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Providing the skills for recognizing and resisting social pressures to experiment with tobacco, alcohol, and drugs.
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Helping enhance self-esteem.
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Teaching positive alternatives to substance use.
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Developing skills in risk assessment and decision making.
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Building interpersonal and communication skills.
Considering the results of studies to date regarding program effectiveness, DARE students, when compared with to those who had not DARE, indicated significantly lower substance use since graduation from sixth grade. Moreover, when asked to imagine friends pressuring them to use drugs or alcohol, these students were significantly more likely to decline the offer. DARE students were also more likely to use effective refusal strategies emphasized by the DARE curriculum. These studies also found substantial evidence that DARE students experience increased self-esteem and improved attitudes toward law enforcement personnel.
Parental cooperation and understanding are essential to any substance abuse prevention effort. During the semester, parents are invited to an evening session called "Parent Education Night". At this session the DARE Deputy explains the DARE program and provides the opportunity for parents to review the curriculum, answering any questions that might be raised regarding the program and its contents. Parents and teachers may ask to review the curriculum at any time and the DARE Deputy is available to answer any questions.
HISTORY OF DARE
DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) was developed in 1983 as a cooperative effort by the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles Unified School District. DARE provides special attention to fifth and sixth grade students to prepare them for entry into middle/junior high school, where they are most likely to encounter pressures to use drugs.
The DARE program is currently offered in all 50 states. Over 13,000 trained men and women in law enforcement, representing 9,000 agencies, offer this educational program.
In August, 1988, the Montgomery County Sheriff's Department adopted the program, and this marked the beginning of the Sheriff's Department commitment to DARE.
Sheriff John P. Durante lends his support to the DARE Program. Over 35,000 children to date have learned to "just say no" to drugs, alcohol and violence through this very successful program.
TO SCHOOLS
With your administrative assistance, Project DARE will provide:
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a specially-trained, uniformed Deputy Sheriff once a week for a school semester;
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a Deputy who will instruct the DARE curriculum to grades 5 or 6. The lessons require 45 minutes to one hour of class time;
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visitation lessons (approximately 20 minutes each) to classes at other grade levels;
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opportunities for the Deputy to interact with the students during lunch time, playground activities and other appropriate times during the day. The Deputy will be expected to remain on campus the entire school day except in those cases where he or she is only teaching two classes a day. In this latter case, the Deputy will be expected to remain on campus at least one-half of the school day;
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a faculty awareness session (30 minutes);
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a parent education evening (2 hours);
It would be appreciated if you could:
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regard the Deputy as an educator. No law enforcement activities should be expected of the Deputy except in emergencies;
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provide the Deputy with a mailbox and school bulletins. If possible, a workroom or Deputy space would be very valuable to the Deputy and the program;
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schedule the faculty meeting early in the semester;
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schedule and publicize the parent education meeting.
TO PARENTS
Your local school, in conjunction with the Montgomery County Sheriff's Department is presenting a drug education program at your child's elementary school. The primary emphasis of the program is to assist students in recognizing and resisting the pressure that influences them to experiment with drugs. The program is entitled DARE.
Your child's school is included because of the interest and excellent cooperation which exists between the school and the Sheriff's Department.
The program has been designed, implemented and validated in the Los Angeles School District and proven quite successful.
We hope that you share your school's and the Sheriff's Department's enthusiasm regarding the program. Please contact the school Principal if you have any questions.
TIPS FOR PARENTS
- Establish family rules that make the use of drugs non-negotiable.
- Educate yourself about drugs, so you can talk informatively with your children and answer their questions.
- Since peer pressure is a major factor in teen drug use, know your children's friends.
- Talk with other parents. Try to establish inform rules that make access to drug harder for your children and their friends; such as curfew, the amount of spending money they receive, and their use of a car.
- If problems arise, try to seek advice and counsel from someone both you and your child respect and can relate to.
FOR INFORMATION
Parents: Contact your school Principals.
Students: Contact your Guidance Counselor, or the Montgomery County Office of Drug and Alcohol at (610) 278-3630.
The Montgomery County Sheriff's Department welcomes
your questions and comments.
Call (610) 278-DARE or 278-3854
Page Last Modified: May 08, 2000
