Monterey County's First D.A.R.E. Program
Pacific Grove's Drug Abuse Resistance Education Program began in the 1990s, being the first D.A.R.E. program established in Monterey County. Today, all Pacific Grove Unified School District students are influenced with this program.
History
- Drug Abuse Resistance Education began in 1983 in a joint effort between the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles Unified School District
- D.A.R.E. programs have been a tremendous sucess and exist in all 50 states
Curriculum
- A wide range of teaching techniques are used, including question and answer, group discussion, role-play, and workbook exercises.
- Students are alerted to the potential dangers in the misuse of drugs, medicine, and other substances.
- There is a recognition of the need to help students develop an awareness that alcohol and tobacco are also drugs.
- D.A.R.E. teaches kids how to recognize and resist the direct and subtle pressures that influence them to experiment with alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and other drugs. And since between 70% and 90% of all crime is drug related, it is absolutely vital that we reach the children of America before it is too late.
- The D.A.R.E. program is usually introduced to children in the 5th or 6th grade. A specially trained officer comes into your school and teaches the children
- These classes focus on child safety and prevention issues.
Lesson Topics
- drug awareness
- consequences
- self-esteem
- assertiveness
- stress management
- anger management
- recognizing media influences
- violence reduction
- decision-making
D.A.R.E. Officers in Pacific Grove are:
- Sgt. David Diehl
- Cpl. Kathy Hale
- SRO Dave Palmer
