Pubdate: Fri, 14 Dec 2007 Source: Newsday (NY) Copyright: 2007 Newsday Inc. Contact: http://www.newsday.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/308 Author: Chau Lam SUFFOLK LAWMAKERS NIX RENEWAL OF ANTI-DRUG PROGRAM A group of parents and Suffolk Republican lawmakers mounted an unsuccessful last-ditch effort yesterday to save the school-based drug prevention program known as DARE. Democrats and Working Families Party members, who control the county legislature's public safety committee, blocked a bill to allow Drug Abuse Resistance Education to continue for one more semester and give the full legislature time to evaluate whether the program should be eliminated. Four legislators, two Democrats and two Working Families Party members, voted yes to keep the bill in committee while three Republican legislators voted no. Speaking before the vote yesterday, Nancy Schwartz, president of Drug Resistance Education Awareness Moms, pleaded with Police Commissioner Richard Dormer and lawmakers to continue DARE, which she said helps students steer clear of drugs. In Suffolk, the program uses 21 police officers who go into classrooms and teach students the dangers of drugs and alcohol. "Schools have already set up their scheduled curriculums for the year and cannot begin to train teachers and implement new programs at this stage, thus leaving the children with nothing," said Schwartz, one of several DARE supporters who spoke. "Don't you dare do this to my kids. I have two more that need this," said Maria Ruotolo of Huntington, before lawmakers voted to keep the bill in committee. The decision to do away with DARE was made by Dormer, who plans to cut the number of uniformed officers assigned to the program to 10, starting next year. Dormer had said DARE hasn't worked since it was introduced in Suffolk in 1988. The elimination of the program will save the police department more than $1 million a year in police salaries, according to Dormer's office. Each officer in DARE earns $97,958 a year. Dormer proposed to replace DARE with a new program called enhanced HealthSmart, which would add an anti-drug component to an existing general health and safety program currently being taught in 37 school districts. "I am disappointed," said Legis. Cameron Alden (R-Islip), who introduced the legislation to continue DARE - --- MAP posted-by: Derek