D.A.R.E. - Drug Abuse Resistance Education

Purpose of D.A.R.E.

It’s estimated that 70% to 90% of all crime in the U.S. is connected to drugs, and the people involved are getting younger. D.A.R.E. is one way to help stop this problem before it gets too big in a community. By teaching kids important life skills early on, we can help them make better choices as they grow up. Many of their biggest decisions will happen when their parents aren’t around to help, so it’s important they know how to choose wisely. The choices they make can affect the rest of their lives.

Beginnings of the D.A.R.E. Program

The D.A.R.E. program started in 1983 as a team effort between the police and schools in Los Angeles, California. It quickly spread across the country as a way to deal with problems many communities face. In September 1992, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office brought the program to the Sauk Rapids/Rice and Foley School Districts. Today, D.A.R.E. is used in every U.S. state and in over 57 countries around the world!

Lessons in the Classrooms

For 16 weeks, a specially trained Deputy Sheriff, called a D.A.R.E. Officer, visits 5th grade classrooms in Benton County. During these visits, students learn how to make good choices and understand what can happen if they make bad ones.

In the final classroom lesson, each student shares an essay they wrote about the most important things they learned in the D.A.R.E. program.

The 17th and final lesson is a special graduation ceremony. Families and community leaders are invited to celebrate and honor the students who finished the program. Since the Benton County Sheriff’s Office started D.A.R.E. in 1992, over 10,000 students have graduated from it.