Jorge Barrera
Northern News Services

Cambridge Bay (Jan 14/02) - The RCMP and educators are teaming up to help students learn to stay away from drugs.

The Dare Abuse Resistance Program (DARE) will start this week for students in grades 5 and 6 at Kullik elementary school in Cambridge Bay.

"We want to give kids a chance to resist the appeal of drugs," said Const. Isabelle Bouchard, who will instruct the 17-week program.

The program will focus on topics such as drug abuse, violence and self-esteem.

"Studies show that children with low self-esteem are more susceptible to drug use," said Bouchard, an experienced DARE program instructor.

She arrived in Cambridge Bay last August after a stint in Saskatchewan. She has been on the police force for six years, and Kullik will be the ninth school where she has run the program.

School principal Dawn Wilson welcomes the program, adding that the school teaches drug awareness as part of its health curriculum.

She said the RCMP informed her when Bouchard arrived in the community that the officer could teach the course.

"It's always wonderful to have inter-agency co-operation" said Wilson.

Community drug and alcohol abuse workers are also happy about the program.

"They have to learn young how drugs and alcohol affects them and their bodies," said Elizabeth Kaosoni, a counsellor at the wellness centre. "People I deal with now would have been better off if they would have learned about drugs earlier," she said.