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DARE PROGRAM HOLDS GRADUATION CEREMONY
Over 1,200 students graduated during the annual DARE Culmination for the 2006 - 2007 school year, DARE - Drug Abuse Resistance Education offered by the Lakeland Police Department.
The 2006 - 2007 DARE Officers
DARE is a simple acronym with a big message:
Drug Abuse Resistance Education! DARE began in 1983 as a cooperative effort between the Los Angeles Police Department and the LA Unified School District to develop an approach to prevent substance abuse among children. It is a collaborative effort by DARE certified law enforcement officers, educators, students, parents, and the community to offer an educational program in the classroom designed to prevent or reduce drug abuse and violence among children and youth.
The emphasis of DARE is to help students recognize and resist the many direct and subtle pressures that influence them to experiment with alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, or other drugs, or to engage in violence. The DARE program is taught in all 50 states and many foreign countries.
The Lakeland Police Department's DARE Program is provided to all public and private fifth grade classes in the city at no cost to either the student or the school. The program is funded by an annual golf tournament sponsored by private donations from local businesses.
Specially trained police officers teach the DARE program over a 10 week period each semester. The lessons focus on four major areas:
Providing accurate information about tobacco, alcohol, and drugs
Teaching students decision-making skills
Showing students how to resist peer pressure
Giving students ideas for alternatives to drug use
More information on the DARE is available from the offical DARE web site.
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