All 40 policemen taking part this semester
pose for a class photo with officials and instructors after the opening
ceremony.
Warunya Thongrod
Another forty area police officers joined the Drug Abuse Resistance
Education program, undertaking training to allow them to teach high
school students how to resist peer pressure and drug use.
Region 2 police deputy commander Maj. Gen. Rungrith Sunzup presided over
the launch of the D.A.R.E. training program for police officers June 2
at the Sea Breeze Hotel in Pattaya.
D.A.R.E., founded in 1983 in the United States, came
to Thailand in 1999 and works to give kids the skills they need to avoid
involvement in drugs, gangs, and violence.
To prepare for teaching the D.A.R.E. program in schools, police officers
undergo 80 hours of training in areas such as child development,
classroom management, teaching techniques, and communication skills.
Another 40 hours of additional training are provided to D.A.R.E.
instructors to prepare them to teach the high school curriculum.
Lessons aim to give children the skills needed to
recognize and resist the subtle and overt pressures that cause them to
experiment with drugs or become involved in gangs or violent activities.
“Royal Thai Police have been working on this project seriously, using
the trained officers as the main force to teach youths in schools in
order and build good relationships between police and youths, teachers,
parents and communities to work together to suppress drugs,” Rungrith
said.
