The Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) Programme is a collaborative effort by DARE certified Law Enforcement Officers, Educators, Students, Parents and Community to offer an educational programme in the classroom to prevent or reduce drug abuse and violence among young children and youth.
The Grade 5-6 curriculum is to help students recognise and resist the many direct and subtle pressures that may influence them to experiment with alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, inhalants and other drugs, or engage in violence. It also teaches them how to become good decision makers. Students also receive certificates upon completion of the Grade 5-6 curriculum.
The Emphasis of the K-4 DARE lessons is to assist DARE Officers in educating children to help them keep safe, drug-free and violence free and to teach them to recognise, avoid and report situations which may endanger their health and safety.
The programme started in St. Vincent and the Grenadines in February, 1997. So far all the Primary Schools on main land St. Vincent have participated in the programme with Bequia being the only Grenadine Island involved.
To date, the DARE programme has graduated approximately twelve thousand, six hundred and thirty-six (12,636) students from the Grade five and six, with some eight thousand, two hundred (8,200) Grade K-4. They have all completed their respective curriculum.
There are five (5) Officers presently conducting the DARE programme in seven of the Primary Schools in St. Vincent.
The DARE programme continues to positively impact the lives of many young people in our society. With the enthusiastic effort of the DARE Officers, the DARE programme also help to develop healthy relationships with the community and the police.
