Drug Abuse Resistance Education - DARE

D.A.R.E. stands for "Drug Abuse Resistance Education." This 10 week program is taught by specially trained Police Officers. Fifth or sixth grade students, with the cooperation of their teachers and parents, learn to identify and resist the social pressures to use dangerous drugs. To become D.A.R.E. instructors, officers receive intensive training to provide them with effective teaching skills. Their selection is based upon human relations and communication skills.

D.A.R.E. was originally developed by the Los Angeles Police Department in cooperation with the Unified School District in 1983. Conceived on the premise that prevention is the only long-term answer to our drug problem, this innovative program is proving to be effective and is now taught in schools in all 50 states and several foreign countries.

The D.A.R.E. program is positive and substantive. It avoids scare tactics and relies on accurate information and a straight-forward approach. Group discussions and role playing are used as tools in the D.A.R.E. program.

D.A.R.E. Goals and Objectives

Students will understand physical, emotional, social, and legal risks and effects of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and inhalents on their developing brains and bodies.
Students will compare and contrast the normal beliefs of peers in their classroom with the national data about teen use of ATOD (alcohol, tobacco and other drugs) and where dissonance emerges, revise their understandings/beliefs about how many peers use ATOD.
Students will expand their knowledge about a variety of positive things to do in their school and community (pro-social behavior) that do not involve the use of ATOD and will choose to engage in those activities rather than use ATOD.
Students will understand what refusal strategies, sound communication skills, and assertiveness and resistance skills are and will be able to apply them in developmentally appropriate ways in a variety of life-like situations.

No matter how well designed a program is, it is not a success unless it is accepted by those for who it is designed. The is why the D.A.R.E. program is a success. Students love D.A.R.E.!! They are mature enough to deal with the issue of making decisions about using drugs, and they are younger than the age when statistics show most drug experimentation begins. D.A.R.E. may be our best opportunity to make a difference.

CORE PROGRAM (5th/6th Grade)

The 5th/6th grade Core Program content is organized into ten 45 to 60 minute lessons taught by a certified D.A.R.E. Instructor. The lessons offer a variety of interactive, role playing and cooperative learning activities which are designed to encourage students to solve problems of major importance in their lives. The following are the objectives for each of the 10 core lessons:

Lesson 1 - Purposes and Overview of the D.A.R.E. Program Foundations
Lesson 2 - Tobacco and You
Lesson 3 - Smoke Screen
Lesson 4 - Alcohol and You
Lesson 5 - The Real Truth
Lesson 6 - Friendship
Lesson 7 - Putting it Together
Lesson 8 - Personal Action
Lesson 9 - Practice! Practice! Practice!
Lesson 10 - Special Event (Graduation)

Murray Police DARE Program is currently managed by Officer Rebecka Cox. Email Officer Cox for more information.