BAKER LAKE
Forty Grade 5 students completed the RCMP-delivered Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program at Rachel Arngnamaktiq Elementary School in Baker Lake this past month.
The program was delivered by RCMP Const. Jeremy Balzer.
The students took the 10-lesson program from January until March 26.
D.A.R.E. encourages a positive and healthy lifestyle, while focusing on drugs such as tobacco, marijuana, alcohol and inhalants.
It teaches practical skills for resisting peer pressure to use drugs and engage in risky behaviours, as well as decision-making skills to help students recognize the consequences of their choices.
D.A.R.E. also suggests positive alternatives to substance use and violence and helps youths improve their communication skills and enhance their self-esteem.
Balzer said the program will have students act out different scenarios through role playing, using confident responses to deal with peer pressure.
He said the classes are fast-paced and engaging.
"It's about 50 minutes per class," said Balzer.
"One week I'd teach them about tobacco, then alcohol, marijuana and so on.
"We held several sessions on peer pressure, the ways to avoid bad situations, and their decision making.
"It's essentially 10 weeks, but it took us a little longer with holidays and everything."
RCMP officers have to take special training to deliver the D.A.R.E. program.
Balzer said the Baker students were very engaged in the program and understood some of its components rather well, especially alcohol.
He said if a situation comes up like a student talking about someone he or she knows who gets angry when they drink, or someone they know who got drunk during the weekend, the D.A.R.E. rule is a person's name is never mentioned.
"They ask me if we've picked up drunks before, and I tell them, honestly, we get a lot of calls about alcohol.
"I tell them we go deal with it and make sure everyone's safe.
"I talk about how alcohol can affect your motor skills, and your ability to think and walk, and they understand that."
Balzer has delivered four D.A.R.E. classes, with the first three in British Columbia before he came North about six months ago.
He said in some ways, the Baker children were more receptive to the program then their southern counterparts.
"I don't want to say they were better, necessarily, but they seemed to enjoy the program a lot more.
"It was certainly a pleasure doing it with them.
"They got the concept of abuse in that it's not the end of the world if you're eating one chocolate bar a day, but, if you're eating 10 a day, that's abuse of chocolate, or if you're drinking 10 cans of Pepsi a day, that's abusing pop.
"I don't want them to go home and hound their parents, or think anyone's a horrible person for having a glass of wine with their supper."
