DARE Program

DARE stands for drug abuse resistance education, and is a program designed to help kids obtain the skills they need to resist involvement in drugs, gangs and violence. It was founded in 1983 and is being implemented in many schools around the world. The Grade 6/7 class at Le Goff school participated in the program in 2005, which was taught by police officers who have been trained to answer the questions asked by students about drugs. Officers undergo training in the areas of child development, classroom management, teaching techniques and communication skills to prepare them for the course. See www.dare.com for more details

Smoking

When you quit smoking, your body starts to renew itself almost immediately- even if you were a long term smoker.

• After 20 minutes- blood pressure returns to pre-cigarette levels
• After 8 hours- blood pressure levels return to normal
• After 24 hours- risk of heart attack decreases
• After 3 months- circulation improves and lung function increases
• After 9 months- less coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue and shortness of breath
• After 1 year- excess risk of coronary heart disease is cut in half
• After 5 years- risk of stroke is substantially reduced
• After 5-15years- risk of stroke is the same as a non smoker
• After 10 years- risk of dying from lung cancer is cut in half
• After 15 years- risk of coronary heart disease is the same as a non smoker

TOBACCO HELP LINE- 1-866-332-2322

Fact- Analysts estimate that worldwide nearly 100,000 young people start smoking each day
Fact- More than a third of current or former smokers (38%) in Canada say they began smoking before their 15th birthday
Fact- Overall, boys are more likely to start smoking at a younger age than girls. Males are almost twice as likely as females to have smoked their first cigarette between the ages of 5 and 11 years old
Fact- Forty percent of Canadian youth (15-19) identify friends and peers as the main influence in starting to smoke
Fact- On average, Alberta youth smokers (15-19) smoke 13 cigarettes per day
Fact- In Alberta, 19% of children under the age of 12, and 27% of 12-17 year olds are regularly exposed to second hand smoke in their homes
Fact- Second-hand smoke contains 50 cancer-causing chemicals that are inhaled by non smokers.

Internet Safety

Here are two important tips to keep you safe on the internet:
1 - Only open emails from people you know
2 - Never give out information about yourself on the web, such as your school, age or address, or friends or family members’ names.