Pubdate: Sat, 14 Apr 2001
Source: Press Democrat, The (CA)
Copyright: 2001 The Press Democrat
Contact:  http://www.pressdemo.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/348
Author: Christian Abduel Archer
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.)

DARE'S LESSONS

EDITOR: Crispin Sartwell's article on the DARE program and its failure to 
keep kids from taking drugs was the most to the point, truthful article 
that I have read to date on this ineffective program and why it has failed.

As a teen-ager having "graduated" from a program very much like DARE, I can 
attest to the fact that most people I know did not try drugs because of 
peer pressure, but because they have heard adults in position of authority 
telling them lies, half-truths and distorted facts all of their lives and 
no longer trusted what they heard. As a result, many decide to try things 
for themselves.

In addition, I learned more about new drugs through these programs than I 
did from all of my friends throughout the years. The first time that we 
heard about Ecstasy was through an anti-drug program and by the end of the 
month many of my friends had already tried it. If had not been for that 
program I would probably be ignorant of its existence today.

As a result I have only seen such programs do more to publicize and induce 
drug use than to curb it. There will always be a group who will distrust 
authority and common morals and will experiment with drugs no matter who 
tells them not to.

Christian Abduel Archer, Healdsburg
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jo-D