It’s a heartbreaking reality about drugs on the island with even the most impressionable and vulnerable populations exposed to dangerous substances at a young age. 

Chief of Police, Stephen Ignacio said, “Just the other day, we had this story about a mom who was reported by her son because she was using meth inside the household with an infant.” 

But today, the fifth graders at Talofofo Elementary School may be the wind changing the tide after the youngsters completed a ten-week course on the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program, daring to say no to drugs. 

It's a collaborative effort by the Guam Police Department and the Guam Department of Education that seeks to guide children in responsible decision-making.  

Ignacio added, “Let’s get out there and teach these kids to stay off of drugs–because if we can teach them young, we teach them with the life skills they need so when they grow older, they know that drugs are bad, they’re not good for your body, they’re not good for your family–they’re not good for our community.” 

For these fifth graders, the DARE curriculum is encompassed by the phrase, “Keeping it real,” which encompasses standing strong against peer pressure and making positive life choices. 

KUAM asked what these words meant to them personally. 

5th grader Peyton Taijeron said, “Stay away from drugs and just keep it real.” 

Fellow 5th grader, Nolan Blas said, “For kids to not do drugs and stay healthy.” 

With their heads held high, Taijeron and Blas join their fellow classmates in a commencement ceremony as they pledged to keep it real. 

It’s an initiative that GPD said they hope to expand throughout more schools with plans to send another officer out for DARE training in July who will assist alongside certified DARE instructor Sgt. Paul Tapao in teaching the curriculum.