Pubdate: Fri, 04 Apr 2003 Source: Kamloops This Week (CN BC) Copyright: 2003 Kamloops This Week Contact: http://www.kamloopsthisweek.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1271 Author: Robert Sharpe Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?135 (Drug Education) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis) DARE DOESN'T WORK Editor: The importance of parental involvement in reducing adolescent drug use cannot be overstated. School-based extracurricular activities have also been shown to reduce drug use. They keep kids busy during the hours they're most likely to get into trouble. Unfortunately, the most popular recreational drug and the one most closely associated with violent behavior is often overlooked by parents. That drug is alcohol and it takes more lives each year than all illegal drugs combined. Alcohol may be legal, but it's still the number one drug problem. For decades, drug education has been dominated by sensationalist programs such as Drug Abuse Resistance Education. While Canadian schools are just beginning to implement DARE, American schools are dropping it. Independent evaluations of DARE have found the program to be either ineffective or counterproductive. The scare tactics used do more harm than good. Students who realize they've been lied to about marijuana often make the mistake of assuming harder drugs, such as heroin, are relatively harmless, too. This is a recipe for disaster. Drug education programs must be reality-based or they may backfire when kids are inevitably exposed to drug use among their peers. Robert Sharpe, MPA Program officer, Drug Policy Alliance Washington, D.C. - --- MAP posted-by: Jackl