SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Since 2003, the South Lake Tahoe Drug Store Project (DSP) has educated local sixth graders about the dangers of substance use and abuse. The one-day event was held this year on March 31, and 200 volunteers helped the 300 participating students navigate through a series of vignettes in what has been the single largest collaborative prevention activity conducted in the region.
For all 24 years, the National Guard has been a partner agency in the event.
Guardsmen and women have been in South Lake Tahoe since Sunday, helping to set up DSP at Lake Tahoe Community College, then on Tuesday, leading the students through the day’s activities. On Wednesday and Thursday, they will be at South Tahoe Middle School presenting the National Guard’s drug prevention education program to students.
The National Guard’s Counterdrug Task Force (CDTF) and Drug Demand Reduction Outreach (DDRO) programs are presented to students by specially trained service members to work in schools and communities, educating students on drug resistance, resilience, and healthy decision-making. The service members in California are part of the largest program in the country, with the trained officers reaching youth from San Diego to the Oregon border.
They receive federal support for what they are doing in South Lake Tahoe and beyond. In California, over 40 members work full-time presenting their Positive Action program to middle school students, and D.A.R.E (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) to elementary students. The Guard developed their own Positive Action program since they cannot spend months at each school, and have created a specialized six-week program that has been presented to many schools in the state.
U.S. Army National Guard Sergeant First Class Jermain Pierre has been leading the group in South Lake Tahoe this week. He said the Guard has been working with the counterdrug force since 1989, and he has been part of it for 10 years. Not only do they present to schools, but they also work with coalitions, nonprofits, participate in outreach, and help youth and their parents not only with drug education, but also with resiliency skills. Their programs focus on education and prevention strategies aimed at reducing drug demand, particularly among youth.
SFC Pierre said the South Lake Tahoe community is far ahead of many other small communities in California for the programs they offer youth in drug education, resiliency skills, and prevention. Not only is there the annual DSP, but the Tahoe Alliance for Safe Kids (TASK) offers programs in all elementary schools, and support at South Tahoe High School. There is also a curriculum in the schools, along with supportive services offered by multiple agencies and counseling.
