Pubdate: Tue, 17 Aug 2004 Source: Virgin Islands Daily News, The (VI) Copyright: 2004 Virgin Islands Daily News Contact: http://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3486 Author: Lydia Harris Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.) D.A.R.E. KEEPS KIDS AWAY FROM DRUGS, ALCOHOL AND TROUBLE Hundreds of Virgin Islands youths have stayed off drugs and alcohol and away from violent behavior because of their exposure to DARE - Drug Abuse Resistance Education. The drug awareness and prevention program began in 1983 in Los Angeles and came to the U.S. Virgin Islands in the 1990s. DARE, run in association with local police departments, targets at-risk children because youths often go from drinking to drugs to crime and violence. On St. Thomas, the DARE program is incorporated with other V.I. Police Department programs for youths, according to Kenneth Blake, the territorial director of Crime Prevention. Cpl. Sheila Middleton, DARE supervisor on St. Croix, said the program there includes classes, open discussions, summer programs and activities throughout the year. Blake and Middleton both said DARE is a success, though Blake acknowledged that coming up with accurate statistics is difficult because of the way the program is operated on St. Thomas. Middleton, on the other hand, estimated that 70 percent to 80 percent of students who go through the program remain almost completely drug-free and alcohol-free. "Some may experiment, especially with alcohol," she said, but they aren't getting drunk and causing trouble. In fact, she noted, few teens get in trouble for drunken driving; rather, "most traffic problems with youths are due to speeding." The speeds set are based on road conditions, she added as a warning. So, for example, when the sign says "30 miles per hour," it means the road can't handle cars going 50. That's why a lot of accidents happen, she said. Blake said DARE also is "very successful" on St. Thomas, even though "we do it on a part-time basis here." The most direct presentation of DARE on St. Thomas is when officers go into the schools and give presentations in classrooms or assemblies, Blake said. "School security operates a similar program," he added. Otherwise, students are exposed through Police Department programs such as SADD - Students Against Destructive Decisions; Crime Prevention Bureau Counseling; Police Athletic League; and summer programs such as tutoring, sports, field trips, arts and crafts, classroom work, recreation and other activities. To prevent drug use among children and adolescents, "DARE teaches kids how to recognize and resist the direct and subtle pressures that influence them to experiment with alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and other drugs," according to the DARE Web site. "And since between 70 percent and 90 percent of all crime is drug related, it is absolutely vital that we reach the children of America before it is too late." For more information about DARE, call Middleton at 778-1001 or Blake at 776-1525 or visit www.dare.com. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin