DARE: A DOSE OF WISDOM : 6TH-GRADERS RECEIVE ANTI-DRUG PROGRAM.

Byline: Enrique Rivero Daily News Staff Writer

Ryan Barrows sometimes wears a T-shirt with the words ``Don't take life so seriously'' silk-screened onto the back, but he takes drugs seriously enough to steer clear of them.

Though the Acacia School sixth-grader said he always discourages his peers from substance abuse and takes pride in knowing how to say no to drugs, he knows he can always learn more about the dangers of drug abuse.

That is why he eagerly participated during the first day of his school's semester-long Drug Abuse Resistance Education program, raising his hand to answer questions tossed out by Ventura County sheriff's Deputy Greg Sharp.

``I always think I can still get encouraged and learn new things,'' the 11-year-old said. ``I think it's fun and it's a good learning experience.''

The anti-drug program is aimed primarily at sixth-graders because that is when youngsters are entering the stage in their lives when they become particularly vulnerable to negative peer pressure, said Acacia Principal Fran Smith.

``At that age friends are important,'' Smith said.

DARE is an important part of the sixth-graders' overall education, with the anti-drug message also integrated into writing, art, speech, drama and other classroom lessons, she said.

``I think it's important because it teaches them to make wise decisions and self-esteem - it prepares them for life,'' Smith said.

The program also will be presented to Conejo Valley eighth-graders, who went through DARE two years ago and will get a ``booster shot,'' according to Sharp.

About half of the Conejo Valley's public and private school sixth-graders and all the eighth-graders will go through the program the first half of the year, according to Deputy Eric Hatlee, the other DARE officer at the East Valley Sheriff's Station.

About 3,000 sixth- and eighth-graders are expected to go through the program this year, Hatlee said.

In Thousand Oaks, the DARE officers are paid for by the city, with local businesses and clubs kicking in money to help pay for DARE T-shirts, certificates and other important amenities, Sharp said.

At Acacia, 70 sixth-graders received the introductory lesson brought by Sharp.

DARE uses a mix of lectures, question-and-answer sessions, films and other methods to discourage youngsters from getting started using drugs, largely by helping boost their self-esteem and ability to avoid negative peer pressure.

Sharp said he relies as little as possible on lectures, preferring instead to engage the students' interest by getting them to answer as many questions as he can throw out, thus stimulating discussion among the students.

``We don't ever stand on a soap box and tell them, `Don't do drugs, don't do drugs,' '' Sharp said. ``We ask them, `What are the consequences of doing drugs?' We show them everything that goes along with it.''

Using a barrage of questions as well as charts with easy-to-remember sayings, Sharp went over such things as the different kinds of drugs youngsters may be faced with and the importance of their exercising their right to say no to drugs.

Based on the enthusiastic way the youngsters participated, Sharp knew Tuesday that he was facing a group of youngsters who were likely to take the DARE message to heart.

``This an awesome class, there aren't going to be any problems here - I can tell that already,'' he said.

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3 Photos

Photo: (1--color) Deputy Greg Sharp of the Ventura Count y Sheriff's Department conducts a Drug Abuse Resistance Education class at Acacia School.

(2--color) Patrick Wagner, left, and Marcus Mulick have answers to a DARE question.

(3) Acacia student Chris Turpel gives DARE booklets to classmates.

Jeremy Greene/Special to the Daily News