DARE Program, Sublette County Sheriff's Office, Wyoming

D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) Parents' Guide The Sublette County Sheriff's Department in cooperation with the School Districts 1 and 9 participates in D.A.R.E. along with 33 million school children around the world, 25 million in the U.S. alone. It is a highly acclaimed program that gives kids the skills they need to avoid involvement in drugs, gangs, or violence.

D.A.R.E. was founded in 1983 in Los Angeles and has proven so successful that it is now being implemented in nearly 70 percent of our nation's school districts and in more than 30 countries around the world. D.A.R.E. is a police officer-led series of classroom lessons that teach children from kindergarten through 12th grade how to resist peer pressure and live productive drug-and- violence-free lives. The program, which was developed jointly by the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles Unified School District, initially focused on elementary school children. It has now been expanded to include middle school and high school programs.

Sublette County has incorporated D.A.R.E. into its schools since 1989 with three officers, Henry Schmidt, Jeannie Whinnery and Bob Hanson, involved. Big Piney and LaBarge Elementary Schools have the program in Kindergarten through 5th grade while Pinedale offers it to Kindergarten through 12th plus parenting classes.

D.A.R.E Training Is Unique D.A.R.E. goes beyond traditional drug abuse and violence prevention programs. It gives children the skills needed to recognize and resist the subtle and overt pressures that cause them to experiment with drugs or become involved in gangs or violent activities.The D.A.R.E. curriculum was designed to be taught by police officers whose training and experience gave them the background needed to answer the sophisticated questions often posed by young students about drugs and crime. Prior to entering the D.A.R.E. program, officers undergo 80 hours of special training in areas such as child development, classroom management, teaching techniques, and communication skills. The Core curriculum is presented in the fifth grade. This is presented 1 hour a week for seventeen weeks. It concludes with a culmination ceremony to recognize students who have completed the D.A.R.E. Curriculum Families and friends are encouraged to attend this ceremony and show their support of their D.A.R.E. graduates. Classes for Kindergarten through 4th grade are also given. Curriculum deals with basic safety, rules and drugs.

Following are essays written as a culminating activity by two Pinedale 6th graders:

Essay by Melanie Stevens

Hi. My name is Melanie Stevens. I have learned so much in the Dare program, thanks to Mr. Hanson and Mr. Schmidt. They have helped me learn so much about drugs, and what they can do to me.
   I think that drugs are kind of like enemies. Enemies sometimes get a little carried away and kill you. Well, that is what drugs do to you. They can kill you or at least hurt you. You can get heart and lung diseases, tooth decay, cancer and even more. Why do I choose not to use drugs? Because I just don't want to take the risk of getting sick or ruining my life.
   If I had friends who offered me drugs, I would automatically say "no" because I know it is wrong. I would then have to choose other friends to hang around with because the other friends who offered me drugs must not have been paying attention in D.A.R.E class or they're just being stupid when they should know better. I think I have enough knowledge to say no to friends and other people who offer me drugs.
   If I hang around people who do drugs, then people will think I do drugs, too. Appearances make impressions on other people. I know I want to make good impressions so I will choose good friends to stay out of trouble.
   If I don't use drugs, I won't get into trouble. That will help me all my life. I can get a good education and a successful job by choosing good friends and making good choices.
Now, I will make good friends and make good choices all my life. D.A.R.E.

Essay by Whitney Huntley

I feel that teaching students in our schools about drug prevention is an important part of education. Children all over the country should have knowledge of the danger of drugs. The DARE program helps students make the connection between simple facts about drugs and drug usage, abuse and addiction in the real world. Many kids in small rural communities, like Pinedale, do not always make the connection between simple facts about drugs and drugs in our community, especially if someone that we love and care about might be using drugs.
   This DARE class has been very useful to me in making good choices and plans for my future, and how to solve complex problems in a sensible manner concerning drugs and violence. I have learned that by staying drug-free, my consequences will be much more positive and productive. For example, I'm involved in a 4-H Club, church group, and I play the piano and clarinet and am learning to play the violin. I love the outdoors and do a lot of hiking and backpacking, and I also love to read and write. For me, these activities are much more enjoyable and are things I will cherish for the rest of my life. I can't say the same about drugs. By staying away from groups that use alcohol, drink and drive and are very violent, I will be avoiding violence and a physical injury to myself or someone else.
   Staying drug-free and violence free is extremely important because if you do drugs and are a violent young person, when you're older, you will be the same. You will more than likely not live as long, because of your acts. By doing drugs and being in a gang, people automatically label you as a druggy, stoner, or other negative titles because of your actions and appearance. When people label you and think of you as part of a particular group, you may lose friends, and when you lose those friends you will probably never be able to restore your friendship. The activities you were in before you will probably decide are unacceptable, and your hobbies that you once liked will probably be lost because of your new hobby, "doing drugs."
   Also, by being drug free and violence free you have less chance of being harmed in car crashes and other late night accidents. When people drink and drive there is a real possibility that they could kill themselves while driving and could also harm or kill drivers or passengers out on the road. By choosing not to do drugs you will probably not get into as much trouble with your parents, police, teachers at school, or another adult or friend within your community.
   When you do drugs it affects your appearance. Drugs such as marijuana or hallucinatory drugs may turn your skin a slightly different color, and your eyes may be darker and sag more than they usually do. There's a great possibility that you may become sick much more often than you usually do because of your decision to use drugs. By doing drugs you're hurting yourself, your future, and the people around you that love and care about you!!

For more information call the Sheriff's Office at 367-4378 or 276-5448 or e-mail scso@vcn.com.

Sublette County Sheriff's Department, Wyoming D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education)	Serving Sublette County, Wyoming 35-1/2 South Tyler Ave PO Box 701 Pinedale, WY 82941 307-367-4378 307-276-5448 E-mail: scso@vcn.com
D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) Parents' Guide The Sublette County Sheriff's Department in cooperation with the School Districts 1 and 9 participates in D.A.R.E. along with 33 million school children around the world, 25 million in the U.S. alone. It is a highly acclaimed program that gives kids the skills they need to avoid involvement in drugs, gangs, or violence. D.A.R.E. was founded in 1983 in Los Angeles and has proven so successful that it is now being implemented in nearly 70 percent of our nation's school districts and in more than 30 countries around the world. D.A.R.E. is a police officer-led series of classroom lessons that teach children from kindergarten through 12th grade how to resist peer pressure and live productive drug-and- violence-free lives. The program, which was developed jointly by the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles Unified School District, initially focused on elementary school children. It has now been expanded to include middle school and high school programs. Sublette County has incorporated D.A.R.E. into its schools since 1989 with three officers, Henry Schmidt, Jeannie Whinnery and Bob Hanson, involved. Big Piney and LaBarge Elementary Schools have the program in Kindergarten through 5th grade while Pinedale offers it to Kindergarten through 12th plus parenting classes. D.A.R.E Training Is Unique D.A.R.E. goes beyond traditional drug abuse and violence prevention programs. It gives children the skills needed to recognize and resist the subtle and overt pressures that cause them to experiment with drugs or become involved in gangs or violent activities.The D.A.R.E. curriculum was designed to be taught by police officers whose training and experience gave them the background needed to answer the sophisticated questions often posed by young students about drugs and crime. Prior to entering the D.A.R.E. program, officers undergo 80 hours of special training in areas such as child development, classroom management, teaching techniques, and communication skills. The Core curriculum is presented in the fifth grade. This is presented 1 hour a week for seventeen weeks. It concludes with a culmination ceremony to recognize students who have completed the D.A.R.E. Curriculum Families and friends are encouraged to attend this ceremony and show their support of their D.A.R.E. graduates. Classes for Kindergarten through 4th grade are also given. Curriculum deals with basic safety, rules and drugs. Following are essays written as a culminating activity by two Pinedale 6th graders: Essay by Melanie Stevens Hi. My name is Melanie Stevens. I have learned so much in the Dare program, thanks to Mr. Hanson and Mr. Schmidt. They have helped me learn so much about drugs, and what they can do to me. I think that drugs are kind of like enemies. Enemies sometimes get a little carried away and kill you. Well, that is what drugs do to you. They can kill you or at least hurt you. You can get heart and lung diseases, tooth decay, cancer and even more. Why do I choose not to use drugs? Because I just don't want to take the risk of getting sick or ruining my life. If I had friends who offered me drugs, I would automatically say "no" because I know it is wrong. I would then have to choose other friends to hang around with because the other friends who offered me drugs must not have been paying attention in D.A.R.E class or they're just being stupid when they should know better. I think I have enough knowledge to say no to friends and other people who offer me drugs. If I hang around people who do drugs, then people will think I do drugs, too. Appearances make impressions on other people. I know I want to make good impressions so I will choose good friends to stay out of trouble. If I don't use drugs, I won't get into trouble. That will help me all my life. I can get a good education and a successful job by choosing good friends and making good choices. Now, I will make good friends and make good choices all my life. D.A.R.E. Essay by Whitney Huntley I feel that teaching students in our schools about drug prevention is an important part of education. Children all over the country should have knowledge of the danger of drugs. The DARE program helps students make the connection between simple facts about drugs and drug usage, abuse and addiction in the real world. Many kids in small rural communities, like Pinedale, do not always make the connection between simple facts about drugs and drugs in our community, especially if someone that we love and care about might be using drugs. This DARE class has been very useful to me in making good choices and plans for my future, and how to solve complex problems in a sensible manner concerning drugs and violence. I have learned that by staying drug-free, my consequences will be much more positive and productive. For example, I'm involved in a 4-H Club, church group, and I play the piano and clarinet and am learning to play the violin. I love the outdoors and do a lot of hiking and backpacking, and I also love to read and write. For me, these activities are much more enjoyable and are things I will cherish for the rest of my life. I can't say the same about drugs. By staying away from groups that use alcohol, drink and drive and are very violent, I will be avoiding violence and a physical injury to myself or someone else. Staying drug-free and violence free is extremely important because if you do drugs and are a violent young person, when you're older, you will be the same. You will more than likely not live as long, because of your acts. By doing drugs and being in a gang, people automatically label you as a druggy, stoner, or other negative titles because of your actions and appearance. When people label you and think of you as part of a particular group, you may lose friends, and when you lose those friends you will probably never be able to restore your friendship. The activities you were in before you will probably decide are unacceptable, and your hobbies that you once liked will probably be lost because of your new hobby, "doing drugs." Also, by being drug free and violence free you have less chance of being harmed in car crashes and other late night accidents. When people drink and drive there is a real possibility that they could kill themselves while driving and could also harm or kill drivers or passengers out on the road. By choosing not to do drugs you will probably not get into as much trouble with your parents, police, teachers at school, or another adult or friend within your community. When you do drugs it affects your appearance. Drugs such as marijuana or hallucinatory drugs may turn your skin a slightly different color, and your eyes may be darker and sag more than they usually do. There's a great possibility that you may become sick much more often than you usually do because of your decision to use drugs. By doing drugs you're hurting yourself, your future, and the people around you that love and care about you!! For more information call the Sheriff's Office at 367-4378 or 276-5448 or e-mail scso@vcn.com.