MONTREAL — The English Montreal School has teamed up with several agencies to launch a new program to convince children to stay away from drugs.

Starting at Dante School in St. Leonard, and soon to spread to a total of six schools by March, the program targets children in grades five and six.

That may seem to be a young age, but teachers says children that age are already starting to experiment with drugs, and it's important to give them the tools to resist the urge.

"We want them to learn how to make a good decision," said Barbara Victor, clinical director for the Kids Can! program.

The project's co-ordinators insist it's not enough for students to learn at school that drugs are bad; they know parents have a crucial role to play.

"We've sent out a parent manual to all the parents of the students, because it's really important for parents to have the same information," said Victor.

Six schools throughout the EMSB will test the pilot project this year, and feedback from teachers and students will be used to refine the program as it progresses through an additional 30 schools over the next two school years.

Students from the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University will analyze the outcome and feedback of the pilot project.