Alice Charlie sits in the Ruth King elementary school gym watching her 11-year-old son, Ben Charlie as he graduates from the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program. His 13-year-old brother, Dominic Charlie, sits with their mom.

Dominic graduated from DARE two years ago, and he knows first-hand the realities facing middle school students when it comes to drugs and alcohol.

B次元官网网址淭here is a lot of pressure,B次元官网网址� Dominic said. B次元官网网址淒ARE makes it easy to say B次元官网网址榥o.B次元官网网址� ItB次元官网网址檒l help out my brother a lot.B次元官网网址�

More than 40 Grade 6 students completed the program on May 17 at Ruth King, which became the first school on the West Shore to offer the program back in 1998.

The 10-week course was offered by RCMP Crime Awareness Service Cpl. Scott Hilderley. Students learned about the effects of tobacco, marijuana and alcohol, as well as the social tools needed to steer clear of them. Each student wrote a letter to their future self, reminding them the importance of staying drug-free, Hilderley will return the letters to the students in two years.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e been a police officer for 26 years. I have had fortunate and tragic duties. The more people I dealt with, I realized this guy or girl was once a little boy or girl in Grade 6. Before they knew it, they were meeting me in a way they didnB次元官网网址檛 want to,B次元官网网址� said Hilderley who has been teaching DARE for 14 years.

Alice remembers being in Grade 6 and going through the DARE program as well. She grew up around alcohol and drugs, but never made it part of her life.

B次元官网网址淚 didnB次元官网网址檛 want that around my kids,B次元官网网址� Alice said. B次元官网网址淚 am glad the DARE program is here. This, with proper parenting, will keep kids on the right path.B次元官网网址�

reporter@goldstreamgazette.com