Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency Awards More Than $4 Million for School Drug-Prevention Programs.

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- On behalf of Pa. Gov. Mark Schweiker, Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) Chairman Tom Corbett today announced $4.3 million in grants to support Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) in Pennsylvania's elementary, middle and high schools.

"The DARE program brings Pennsylvania police officers into the classroom to talk to students about the dangers of drugs, alcohol and tobacco," Corbett said. "These officers teach kids that these dangerous behaviors can destroy their lives, their families and their futures."

PCCD certifies DARE officers to teach at the elementary, middle and high school levels and awards grants to fund the program. Every school district and police department in Pennsylvania is eligible to participate. More than half of Pennsylvania's 501 districts are involved in the program, educating an estimated 300,000 students each year.

Most districts offer DARE at the elementary school level, usually to fifth graders, where officers educate students about the "gateway" drugs -- alcohol, tobacco and marijuana. DARE officers also serve as role models to the young people.

The middle and high school DARE curriculums include discussions about how substance abuse affects a student's family and friends, and offer alternatives to coping with conflict without turning to illegal substances and violence. The high school curriculum also talks about the relationship between substance abuse and crime.

"It is important that kids learn about substance abuse in school, especially in the higher grades when peer pressure is greatest," Corbett said. "Teaching them about the dangers of substance abuse should be treated with the same urgency as teaching them about math or science. We hope that families, teachers, communities and DARE will provide constant, consistent messages to our young people so that they will find the strength and courage to say `no' when confronted with a dangerous situation."

Right now, PCCD has 1,040 officers certified to teach the elementary school curriculum, 170 officers certified to teach the middle school curriculum and 68 officers certified to teach the high school curriculum.

 
  NOTE:  A complete list of DARE grant recipients follows. 
                          DARE GRANT RECIPIENTS 
  Adams County 
  Bermudian Springs School District,…