By By Lisa Tindell – news writer
In the fight against drugs, there are two battlegrounds: drug dealers/users and those who could be exposed to drug use.
Educators and lawmakers are hoping their efforts can help keep to a minimum the young people who are exposed to the problem.
Escambia County students in the seventh grade will benefit from $40,000 state awarded grant to the Alabama Center for Law and Education.
The &#8220Play by the Rules: Alabama's Law for Youth” program is a statewide program that aims to reduce youth violence and drug use by teaching students the consequences of breaking the law and the benefits of good character according to state officials. The program is a joint effort of the Alabama Department of Youth, the Alabama Department of Education, the Alabama Attorney General's office and individual school systems, including Escambia County.
Revel said there are 341 seventh grade students in the county school system this year, and each one will be exposed to the material.
Following the two-week program, students are allowed to take their books home so that the instruction can be reviewed and used beyond the classroom, Revel said.
The Escambia County Sheriff's Department is also doing its part to help teach drug and law awareness to students at the middle school level.
Currently the sheriff's department is about seven officers short, causing the lack of an on-campus presence at Atmore and Flomaton, Smith said.
Smith said middle school is the best time to reach children in the area of drug and law awareness. &#8220The battleground lies in the middle and elementary age children,” Smith said.