The Mascon County Sheriffs Department announced on Tuesday January 21st that they have relaunched D.A.R.E starting with Pioneeer Elementry. D.A.R.E stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Educationa and was originally developed by the Los Angeles Police Department in cooperation with the Unified School District in 1983 and was a nation wide program to help educate youth, and prevent drug use in teens going into adults. Most agenecies stopped doong the D.A.R.E program in 2009.

The Mason County Sheriffs Department said that this marks a historic day as they officially kick off the D.A.R.E. program at Pioneer Elementary School! Deputy Colbenson joined students, staff, and community members for a brief but meaningful flag-raising ceremony. Together, we raised the D.A.R.E. flag, symbolizing the return of this impactful program to Mason County for the first time in nearly 20 years.

The program currently focuses on fifth-grade students and spans a 10-week course, emphasizing modern strategies to help kids face today’s challenges. The D.A.R.E. of today is not only about “Drug Abuse Resistance Education.” While addressing substance abuse remains a key component, the program also focuses on equipping students with the skills to tackle peer pressure, bullying, stress, and other real-life situations.

D.A.R.E is now the decision-making model, which empowers students to:

• Define the problem, challenge, or opportunity.

• Assess the available choices.

• Respond by making a choice.

• Evaluate their decision.

This modernized curriculum empowers students to make safe and informed decisions in all areas of life, preparing them to navigate the complex challenges they face in today’s society.

They also said that they were excited to announce a generous donation from Our Community Credit Union, which will help us move closer to our goal of expanding the program to all schools in Mason County. While this is an ambitious goal, we are committed to working toward it by training more officers and continuing to grow the program’s reach.

We are excited about the future of this program and the positive impact it will have on our youth and community. Thank you to everyone who has supported this journey—this is just the beginning!