Daren the Dare Lion

History of in Medicine Hat

The D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) Program was started in the 1996-97 School Year by the Medicine Hat Police Service Crime Prevention Unit in Medicine Hat with both the Medicine Hat School District No. 76 and the Medicine Hat Catholic Board of Education. In the first year 13 Elementary Schools participated which included approximately 400 students.

After the first year and a favourable response D.A.R.E. evolved into all 20 Elementary Schools in Medicine Hat including two private schools, Medicine Hat Christian School and Centre For Academic and Personal Excellence (CAPE). D.A.R.E. has been taught to all Grade 6 students since then with an average of 650 students for each of these years.

Total Elementary School Students taught D.A.R.E. each year in Medicine Hat:
600

In 1998-99 the D.A.R.E. Junior High Program taught to Grade 7 students was started in the all three Junior High Schools in Medicine Hat including Crescent Heights High School, Alexandra Junior High School, and St. Mary's Junior High School, which also included an average of 650 Grade 7 students per year. The Junior High D.A.R.E. Program continued for one more year (1999-2000) and then discontinued due to the decreased availability of these officers in other schools during this teaching period, which could take up to a full two months to implement in each junior high school.

As of September 2001, the Medicine Hat Police Service has 17 trained D.A.R.E. officers with 16 officers actively teaching D.A.R.E. this year in 19 schools to 33 classes of grade six students.