D.A.R.E.

As the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) Officer for the Town of Middleton, I have the privilege of interacting with the children of Middleton. The D.A.R.E. Program is taught at the Howe Manning School to the 6th grade, however, during my time spent at the school I also have a chance to meet and speak with other students while conducting my daily duties.

I became the D.A.R.E. Officer for Middleton in 2001 and taught the program for one year. Unfortunately, in 2002, the State of Massachusetts stopped issuing Grants for the program. The Middleton Police Department, then under the direction of Chief Armitage, did not wish to pick up the cost of the program. In 2006, newly appointed Chief DiGianvittorio, believing as I do that the D.A.R.E. Program is vital for the health and safety of the town's children, began funding the program.

D.A.R.E. stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education. It is a drug abuse prevention education program designed to provide elementary, middle and high school children with the knowledge of drug abuse, the consequences of abuse and skills for resisting peer pressure to experiment with drugs, alcohol and tobacco. Currently in Middleton only the core elementary program is being taught. This consists of ten lessons to sixth grade students. In the future it would be nice to have the funds to present the whole elementary program as well as the middle and high school programs to the children of Middleton.

D.A.R.E. is taught throughout the United States and in 36 countries around the world.

Sincerely,
Thomas McParland
D.A.R.E. Officer

RAD

Learn about the Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) system on their official website. Officer David Arathuzik is our certified RAD Instructor.