Officer James Tobin is our D.A.R.E. Officer. Ofcr. Tobin provides the core D.A.R.E. program instruction (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) to all 5th graders in the Humboldt Unified School District. He also provides instruction to the lower elementary grades on such subjects as “stranger danger” and other safety-related topics. In fact, the department is now proud to announce that our D.A.R.E. program is one of the first in the country to add a lesson on Bullying Awareness to the basic D.A.R.E. curriculum.
The picture below was taken in March 2009 at Mountain Valley Elementary School. Officer Tobin, far right, and Sundogs mascot Burnie congratulate school principal Mrs. Bindell and several of her school kids for their stellar performance in the "Read Across America" program. And yes, the kids were allowed to wear their pajamas to school that day!
If you have questions concerning the D.A.R.E. program, you may contact Officer Tobin by telephone at the Prescott Valley Police Department at (928)772-5173 or via e-mail at jtobin@pvaz.net.
NEW D.A.R.E. FACTS
Study shows NEW D.A.R.E. program helps youths decide against using drugs.
Akron, OH -- The University of Akron today released results of the evaluation of the new D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) 7th grade curriculum. The findings show improvements in students' decision-making skills, drug refusal skills, and beliefs that drugs use is socially inappropriate.
"The new D.A.R.E. curriculum comes at a critical time in light of the most recent National Household Survey report showing an increase in substance abuse among our nation's youth. These findings suggest important changes that will make D.A.R.E., which is already the largest prevention delivery system in the nation, a more effective intervention," said J. Michael McGinnis, Sr. Vice-President of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
The research results are based on findings from an ongoing five-year study of the new D.A.R.E. science-based curriculum, which is being tested in six U.S. Cities-Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark (NJ), New Orleans, and St. Louis. The study involves over 15,000 students from 83 high schools and 122 middles schools. Half of these high schools and middle schools were randomly assigned to receive the new D.A.R.E. program while the others were assigned to a control group for comparison purposes.
"The positive findings are very encouraging," said Dr. Zili Sloboda, the study's principal investigator. "The new curriculum showed an improvement in skills and beliefs that make students more resistant to substance abuse. Even more exciting is the fact that the new curriculum is a first step in a process for preparing children for the at-risk years".
The findings show:
- More students decided against using drugs
- More students found drug use socially inappropriate and believed fewer peers used drugs
- More students learned how to refuse drugs
- Fewer students reported intent to use inhalants
For further information on this subject, please visit the Arizona D.A.R.E. Officer's Association website at http://www.azdare.org/, or please visit D.A.R.E. America's website at www.dare.com.