FORT SIMPSON - The most recent group of student graduates from the DARE program at Bompas elementary school have emerged with more than just a desire to say no to drugs.

Devan Horassi receives his DARE graduation certificate from Const. Sigmund Janke during a ceremony at Bompas elementary school. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

At the graduation ceremony on May 30, Shanaya Cook, 11, said she learned how to make better decisions, using a decision-making model.

If she's faced with a choice, the model helps her determine whether something is good or bad.

"If it's bad I say no," said Cook.

Bad things can include smoking, drugs and alcohol, she said. The decision-making model is part of the 10 week Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program, said Const. Sigmund Janke, who taught the course to students from Classes 5 and 6.

Using the acronym DARE, the model teaches students to define the problem, assess the situation, respond and evaluate, said Janke.

Students use the model to examine what they should do if someone approaches them with drugs or alcohol, but it can also be used for other situations, he said.

During the program the students used role-playing and skits to practise making decisions.

"The children really enjoyed that," said Janke.

The idea of the exercises was to help them develop quick thinking so if they are approached they will have an answer ready.

"Without that type of experience kids might not know how to react," he said.

The DARE program is beneficial because it gives students problem solving strategies, said Terry Jaffray, the school's principal.

Students learn to organize their thoughts and develop phrases they can use when confronted with a problem.

"I think that's good advice for the kids to have," she said.

The whole program ties into what the students are taught in their classes about problem solving and health, but it's nice to have other community members reinforce the message, said Jaffray.

Students also learned about the effects of drug and alcohol on bodies and about positive and negative peer pressure.

"Drugs are bad," said Jared Kotchea, 12.

Kotchea said he also learned that there are more than 200 different chemicals in cigarettes and over 400 in marijuana.

"Smoking will give you lung cancer," said Kotchea.