DARE program now taught at the high school level

Ken Johnston
Editor

The DARE program has gone to a “high”er place!
After several years of successfully holding the DARE program at the elementary school level, local Ontario Provincial Police Officers are now teaching at the high school level in both Rainy River and Fort Frances.
Last Friday marked the fifth and final day of DARE at RRHS. Constable Al Macdonald spent five 75 minute periods with the grade 10 students there and said that he was very impressed with the level of enthusiasm at RRHS. He found the students to be very open to discussing the course material and how it is part of their every day lives.
Over the week of DARE classes 10 different lessons are taught, including the following topics:
•Drugs perceived acceptance
•Decisions and consequences
•Teenagers and the law
•Impaired driving
•Drugs, media and violence
•Anger management
•Choosing alternatives to violence
•Safe and healthy teen relationships
Macdonald complimented the RRHS grade 10s and asked them if they felt the program should move into the senior grades. The overwhelming response was yes.
Many of the students felt that the program was good and said that they felt every grade 10 student should have it.