The DARE program begins once again this week in Portage Division schools.

The Drug Abuse Resistance Program has been a fixture in classrooms for a number of years.

It's presented over ten weeks by the RCMP, and Constable Dave Spakowski notes it's part of the health curriculum in some schools. Eleven schools will be part of the DARE program this fall and again in January, reaching 327 Grade 6 kids.

Spakowski's convinced it's important to get the information into the schools because it raises awareness about the negative effects of drug use. He adds the students are quick to give positive, encouraging feedback.