Pubdate: Wed, 11 Apr 2001 Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press (MN) Copyright: 2001 St. Paul Pioneer Press Contact: http://www.pioneerplanet.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/379 D.A.R.E. Losing Favor Drug Programs Should Reach High Schoolers In 1983, the police department and school district in Los Angeles created the country's first D.A.R.E. program that sent police officers into the elementary school classrooms to teach an anti-drug message. With time, the 17-week program -- with its graduation ceremony that rewarded children with the distinctive D.A.R.E. T-shirt -- became wildly popular. Children developed healthy acquaintances with a police officer while learning to resist peer pressure. The Drug Abuse Resistance Education program met with little criticism and its curricula spread worldwide. In the past five years, numerous studies have shown that the effects of the D.A.R.E. program wear off by high school. In recent months, the U.S. surgeon general and National Academy of Sciences issued reports claiming the D.A.R.E. approach was ineffective. A 10-year University of Kentucky study showed that D.A.R.E. had no influence on students by the time they were 20 years old. D.A.R.E advocates -- and there are many -- will point to a few studies that prove the program's effectiveness. But even these supporters must recognize that the program's one-size-fits-all approach better fit U.S. classrooms 20 years ago. Merely because a program is popular does not mean it is the best program for a community. Consequently, school districts -- including Minneapolis -- have revisited their drug awareness programs and made changes. Few suggest that children need not learn about the harmful effects of illegal drug use in school. A comprehensive program that engages both younger and older students sends a message about saying no to drugs at the same time it teaches critical thinking skills, decision making and -- for the younger children -- social skills, reading and writing. Oakdale school and police officials have reviewed the D.A.R.E. program and may opt for a D.A.R.E replacement that requires fewer police contact hours and more interaction from students. The proposal might -- and should -- reach high school students. Just saying no to growing data that points to D.A.R.E.'s ineffectiveness does no favors for kids. Parents who are delighted that a police officer has befriended their child need to look past that immediate gratification. They must visualize their son or daughter at the age of 20, far removed from a police officer but within easy distance of cocaine or heroin. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D