Racing Against Drugs Durham (RADD) Durham is a community-based drug and alcohol awareness program developed by the RCMP and presented since 1996 for students in Durham Region by the RCMP and a local network of education, police, agency, business and industry partners.  Racing Against Drugs Durham is designed to promote healthy, drug-free lifestyles through an exciting school program, including a  curriculum , and a visit by the students to the Racing Against Drugs event.  

Re-enacting the excitement of the sport of auto racing, a sport with no tolerance for substance abuse, is one secret to the success of this program, which promotes:

• substance abuse awareness,
• healthy alternative choices such as sports, hobbies or the arts,
• a commitment to personal safety.

 The Racing Against Drugs Durham Steering Committee, along with many volunteers, transforms a local venue into an exciting racing environment. Each school is bussed in for half a day (about 600 students per half day session) to visit interactive, educational "Pit Stops" where various agencies, community health professionals, and police agencies share substance abuse information and healthy, drug-free lifestyle alternatives. This unique concept of learning helps to provide the youth with a very meaningful and memorable experience. At the end of the visit, race teams from each school are given the opportunities to experience the excitement and teamwork of racing by competing in a virtual race on video consoles.

The provincial RCMP co-ordinator travels to communities throughout the province to support the local events. Racing Against Drugs Durham is the largest of all of the provincial programs and the longest running over consecutive years.

In 2011, 106 schools (approximately 6,000 grade 5 students) participated from the Durham District School Board and Durham Catholic District School Board. 

By the end of the 2012 event, approximately 88,000 studentswill have been educated by this program.

"Our goal is that these students receive a very strong message on the benefits of choosing a healthy, drug-free lifestyle in an exciting, interactive learning environment," says Penni Barker-Adams, co-chairperson of the Racing Against Drugs Durham Steering Committee.

Racing Against Drugs Durham 2012:
During the week of April 30th to May 4th, over 6,000 Grade 5 students from the Durham District School Board and Durham Catholic School Board will again visit Racing Against Drugs Durham to learn about the dangers of alcohol and other drugs, and the benefits of choosing healthy lifestyles and to race on the virtual race track.

Educational Pit Stops:
The 31 educational Pit Stops, run by education, agency and business partners, are set up around the perimeter of two ice pads. Schools rotate through the Pit Stops at 8 minute intervals.
Pit Stops deliver messages on: 

• substance abuse awareness and prevention and/or
• healthy lifestyle choices and/or
• commitment to personal safety

Final Race:
At the end of each ½ day session, the students all come to one ice pad to cheer on their teams at the final virtual race on a computer (each school has a team of 4 students to represent them). This is a not-to-be-missed, exciting, noisy, fun time. The final race delivers a message to the students  to:

•  try to make healthy decisions to stay on track in life,
•  take it slow in the turns (or the challenging times in life)
•  know that there are many people who are there to help them stay on course and get back on track if needed