Drug Abuse Resistance Education

M/Sgt. Dwayne Barnes

The DARE program was added to the Columbus County School curriculum by the Sheriff's Office in 1990.  There is currently one certified DARE Officer teaching fifth graders in ten County Schools.  The 10 week programs are targeted at County fifth graders, but DARE officers also visit kindergarten through fourth grades as time allows.   In addition to his time in the classroom, DARE officer, M/Sgt Dwayne Barnes presents a variety of programs to church groups and other interested organizations.  

• County DARE Officers help students make positive life choices by:
• Providing accurate information about drugs and alcohol;
• Teaching students decision making skills;
• Showing them how to resist peer pressure;
• Suggesting healthy alternatives to drug use; and
• Building self esteem.   

The curriculum focuses on topics such as personal safety, drug use and misuse, consequences of behavior, assertiveness training, managing stress without drugs, and how to make positive use of role models and support systems. 

Essay Winner:

D.A.R.E.          by John

        I have learned alot of things in D.A.R.E. this year about drugs and the harm they cause.  The most important thing I have learned is that drugs can ruin your life and your family's life forever.  Drugs don't just cause brain damage.  They cause you to not be yourself ever again.  They cause you to do things that you know are wrong.  The things that you will probably do are stealing, robbing, and maybe even killing.

        Drugs can damage your brain right away or over a period of time.  Drugs can be very addictive, even after one time.  Some drugs can kill you by themselves or cause you to commit suicide.  In any of these cases, drug use affects the user, their family, and the people who love him or her.

        Drug use is very expensive.  Most people who abuse drugs are unable to keep a job because of their addiction.  When this occurs, drug users must find a way to pay for their drugs.  Drug users then become drug dealers.  Other drug users resort to crime.  Drug addicts will break into houses, steal, and commit robbery.  Some drug users are so addicted that they will kill a person for their property or money just to buy their drugs.

         Drugs are bad no matter how you look at it.  They destroy the user's life, his or her family, and the community.