Nashville, Tennessee --- Seventeen officers from Tennessee and across the country will graduate from D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) training conducted by the Tennessee Department of Safety during a special ceremony on Friday, June 20, 2008. The graduation will be held at 11:00 a.m. at the Radisson Hotel Nashville Airport.

WHO:         D.A.R.E. Instructors from the Tennessee Highway Patrol and new D.A.R.E. officers

WHAT:       D.A.R.E. Graduation Ceremony

WHEN:       11:00 a.m.
                  Friday, June 20, 2008

WHERE:     Radisson Hotel Nashville Airport
                  1112 Airport Center Drive
                  Nashville, TN 37214                          

D.A.R.E. is taught in all 50 states. The classes prepare officers to work with young people on drug education. D.A.R.E. focuses on responsibility and resistance to peer pressure. It targets communication and refusal skills, decision-making skills and awareness about drugs and health.

The Tennessee Department of Safety's mission is (www.tennessee.gov/safety) to ensure the safety and general welfare of the public. The department encompasses the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Office of Homeland Security and Driver License Services. General areas of responsibility include law enforcement, safety education, motorist services and terrorism prevention.