The Parent Resource Institute for Drug Education, or PRIDE (Bermuda), is hoping to cram 150 primary school aged students into the Salvation Army Citadel on Friday.

PRIDE will be hosting its first annual PRIDE Pals Conference for Elementary School students, aged seven to 11, entitled "PRIDE Paws Pals''.

The conference includes demonstrations, team-building games, a drama performance, child problem solving and work shops.

PRIDE's (Bermuda) programme director Pat Pogson, said: "This conference will have a dog theme and participants will have the opportunity to meet our guest speakers, Police Constable Coyles and the police dog Geoff.

The conference will be run by teens who participated in the PRIDE World Drug Conference in Louisville, Kentucky this year.

About 215 PRIDE teams from around the world participated in the world conference and 18 Bermudian youth attended the event.

Bermudian youth won first place in Dance and Original Vocal Music categories.

One team member also wrote a drama called, "Why Me?'', which details the emotional issues a family can go through if a loved one becomes sick from cigarette smoking.

Other events include an updated BINGO game that uses drug terminology such as Mary Jane, Cocaine and Gateway drugs to help children establish the many forms of substance abuse.

Students will leave with "Doggy Bags'' that include Say No to Drugs pencils, games, temporary tattoos and tee-shirts.

Friday's conference will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with registration at 8.30 a.m. tomorrow at the Citadel.

The conference will cost $20 for non-members and $15 for members.

PRIDE is sponsored by the National Drug Commission and the Council Partners, who solicit from international business.

Of the 18 public elementary schools, 13 have a PRIDE programme as well as Saltus.