Cabot School District Implements PRiDE Drug Resistance Program

The Cabot School District will provide a drug resistance program to students called PRiDE, Panthers Resisting Drugs Education program, beginning the 2012-2013 school year. This program will replacing the former DARE program.

The PRiDE program was developed by the Cabot School District Health and Wellness Coordinator, Kelly Spencer (pictured to the right) and the Cabot Police Officer and Cabot Schools Resource Officer, Officer Yvonne Kackley (pictured to the left).

This will be a new drug resistance curriculum to educate students about the damaging effects of drugs and substance abuse.

The PRiDE program was developed based upon the findings of the 2011 Arkansas Prevention Needs Assessment data, tobacco, alcohol, and prescription drugs are the prevalent choices among teen users. Of those who decide to smoke, drink, or do drugs, they typically begin at the middle school age; therefore, this resistance program is to raise awareness of the dangers of drug use as well as equipping our students with the needed refusal skills to fight peer pressure.

“The Cabot School District is very fortunate to be able to partner with the City of Cabot to offer this program. Officer Kackley is very knowledgeable and she has been in our schools for over eight years serving as a School Resource Officer” Kelly Spencer stated. Officer Kackley will help students apply the knowledge they will gain from this program saying, “As a police officer, I have witnessed the devastating effects of drug use. Anything we can to do educate and prevent the use of drugs is helpful and makes the community a better place to live.”

The DARE program has served our district well in the past but we are excited to move forward with the PRiDE program that is designed specially to meet the needs of our children.

News Release in 501 Life Magazine