SHERIFF TO REINSTATE ANTI-DRUG PROGRAM

After Budget Shifts, Dare Visits To Return In Watauga County

The Watauga County Sheriff's office is reinstating the DARE program in
the county's elementary schools.

Sheriff James C. "Red" Lyons said just before school started this year
that he didn't have enough money to keep providing a DARE Officer for
weekly visits to the six Watauga County schools near Boone and Blowing
Rock.

DARE, which stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education, is a
nationally-known program to prevent drug abuse and violence. It was
started by the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles
schools. DARE had been offered in Watauga County since 1985 and works
with fifth graders.

Lyons said that it was difficult but necessary to stop the program,
because his officers needed to focus their energies on slowing the
flow of illegal drugs into the county.

Since then, Lyons said, he has fielded many phone calls from parents
and educators upset about the program being stopped.

"Pulling the DARE program wasn't a popular decision, but having drugs
run rampant wasn't popular either," Lyons said. "We have a lot of
needs and sometimes there is not enough money to go around. I'm
pleased we were able to find a way to put the program back in place."

The sheriff was able to bring the program back by tweaking about
$16,500 from his budget to finance a second drug-investigator position
for the rest of the fiscal year, which runs through June.

Lyons had asked, unsuccessfully, for the extra position in last year's
budget request to the Watauga County Board of Commissioners.

The sheriff gained the extra money from three sources: salaries that
did not have to be paid while jobs were being filled; a renegotiated
contract with Watauga Medical Center to provide meals for prisoners in
the county jail; and from taxes collected on illegal drugs seized
during arrests.

Lyons said that the DARE lessons would start when classes resume after
the holidays and that the program would be taught in its entirety.

Although recent research has questioned the value of DARE in affecting
whether students use drugs, alcohol or cigarettes, Lyons said he still
feels that the program has merit because of the emphasis it places on
values such as respect.

Richard Jones, the superintendent of the Watauga County Schools, said
that because DARE never stopped being offered by police at the
elementary schools in Blowing Rock and Boone, having the program back
in the county schools made the situation fair for everyone involved.

He also said he was glad to see the program return, not only because
he feels that it does help prepare children for making decisions to
avoid drugs and alcohol, but also because of the strong positive
relationships that are formed between the officers and the students.

"I hope down the road kids will remember what DARE taught them about
resisting drugs and alcohol, but I can almost guarantee that a student
will remember the connection they made with that officer," Jones said.
"I remember many DARE graduations where the kids were crying because
they wouldn't be seeing that officer anymore. When students form that
close a relationship with an adult mentor, I think that's a good thing."