BUENA PARK : 90 Pupils Graduate From DARE Course

Before leaving the comforts of elementary school and venturing into the unknown world of junior high, sixth-grader Mac Long had one more threshold to cross.

“The reason I don’t want to take drugs is because I want to be a professional baseball player,” Long said before his classmates at Dysinger School.

Wearing black “Dare to Say No to Drugs” T-shirts, Long and about 90 fellow sixth-graders graduated from DARE this week, culminating the third year of the anti-drug program in Buena Park.

“The DARE program isn’t a one-shot deal,” DARE Officer Bruce Manning told the students before giving them their certificates. “It is only the beginning.”

Since 1988, more than 4,000 Buena Park students have gone through the DARE program, which tries to fight drug abuse by teaching students how to make intelligent decisions and improve their communications skills. All sixth- and eighth-grade students are required to go through the 17-week class.

“We are trying to make sure that every student in sixth grade gets DARE,” McMillen said.

Public support for the program also has grown. Last year, the community donated more than $5,000 for the DARE program. The money is used to buy items for the students such as T-shirts, pencils and trophies awarded upon completion of the course.

Although fairly new, DARE already has made its mark.

“It really makes kids aware of what is out there,” said Steve Johnson, assistant principal of Buena Park Junior High. “It is very popular.”

DARE officers have noticed that students trust them more because of the program.

“Kids are going out of their way to say hello to police officers,” Officer Rich Pena said.

Pena said he often receives calls from former students or their parents.

“They call me if they have a problem,” Pena said.