Dare Officer Mike Franklin congratulates DARE graduates during the DARE graduations.| Melissa Cason/FCT

The 2010 Franklin County Drug Abuse Resistance Education classes recently held their graduations throughout the county.
DARE Officer Mike Franklin congratulated all the graduates for a job well done.
“I am very proud of you,” Franklin told each group for their efforts.
This is Franklin’s 10th group of classes to finish the course.
“I think it’s working,” Franklin said. “We target students in the fifth grade to help get them through their teen years drug free. After that, adults are supposed to know the dangers of drugs and stay away from them.”
Franklin said the county’s continuing drug problem is in no way a reflection on the program.
“I think if we didn’t have DARE or other drug education classes, our drug problem would be much worse,” Franklin said.
The teachers agree.
Fifth grade teachers Angie Garrison, Kim Davidson, Ann Scott, and Melissa Cox came together to discuss the need for DARE in the schools and how they think it helps the students.
“It’s about more than drug education,” Garrison said. “The students love it and they look forward to it. The class teaches students more than just to say no to drugs.”
Davidson said it helps with their self-esteem as well.
“We have students who struggle and DARE helps with their self confidence as well. It helps them resist any negative peer pressure and to help them know what to do in different situations.”
Role play plays a big part of the DARE curriculum.
“It’s fun to see Pop go into the smooth, cool kid part and the students play themselves to help them learn how do deal with things,” Cox said.
Scott said she has been a teacher for 25 years and has seen it work for many years.
“I think it’s a great program,” Scott said. “It teaches students about the dangers and about what to do if it’s offered to them. It’s a beneficial program.”
In order to graduate from DARE, each student must get at least a 70 percent on their DARE book and write an essay.
“We don’t just give these certificates for participation,” Franklin said. “These are earned.”
DARE is a non-funded program offered by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department and in conjunction with the Red Bay Police Department.
For information on how to contribute to the DARE program, call 332-8811.