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. 

Williamstownship Elementary School 2007 Essay Winners.

2004 D.A.R.E. Essay Winners

2004 Essays

I learned in DARE that saying no to drugs can change my life forever. If I hang around with people who do drugs, or nonusers, instead of users then it will be easier to resist drugs. I also learned that saying no to drugs can not always be easy. You need to think about the effets that could follow from using drugs.

One result from abusing drugs is the different sicknesses you could get, such as liver problems. Other types of sicknesses are bad breath, upper respiratory problems, cancer and damaged brain cells. It's important that I don't use drugs so I don't have to face the consequences of being sick. I personally don't want to do drugs because I have learned the damage that they could do to my body.

It may not happen now, but I know that someday I will be asked to try drugs. When faced with problems such as these, I can use my DARE decision making model: Define the problem; Assess my choices; Respond, and evaluate my decision. I have learned the different ways to say no when asked to try a drug. They are giving a reason or fact as to why I am saying no, changing the subject, using humor, or being a skipping CD by repeating my refusal.

I know there are younger kids who may be looking up to me, so if I say no, maybe they will choose to be drug free also. When my little brother gets older, I hope he will make wise choices about not using drugs. I will do my very best to try to teach him the skills I have learned in DARE.

Today, I make a vow that I will be responsible about not using drugs. If asked, I already know what my answer will be. It's simply two letters, NO.

by Amber

ESSAY:

Our school has a program called DARE. The DARE stands for Drug, Abuse, Resistance, Education. DARE also stands for Define, Assess, Respond, and Evaluate, That is a good decision making model. DARE is to teach 5 th graders to stand up against drugs.

Did you know that more than 4,000 people die each year from the effects of marijuana, alcohol and tobacco? I think this is why we have DARE in our schools. The impact it had on me was to show me when I'm a parent not to smoke. When you get older, if you smoke, your kids will think that you are cool. They look up to you like a movie star. Chances are, if you smoke your kids will probably smoke too. The same with they kids and so on. Not only is smoking bad for your health, people are also wasting their money.

In my DARE class I also learned that when companies advertise for alcohol they show pretty people, at cool parties, having fun. They do not show wrecks, sicknesses or family problems that they drinking of alcohol causes. Drugs, tobacco and alcohol are dangerous to your health and ruin your life in may ways. My pledge statement is I will never do drugs because I want to be wise, happy and have a great life.

by Savanna