D.A.R.E. Losing Favor

Drug Programs Should Reach High Schoolers

In 1983, the police department and school district in Los Angeles created
the country's first D.A.R.E. program that sent police officers into the
elementary school classrooms to teach an anti-drug message. With time, the
17-week program -- with its graduation ceremony that rewarded children with
the distinctive D.A.R.E. T-shirt -- became wildly popular. Children
developed healthy acquaintances with a police officer while learning to
resist peer pressure. The Drug Abuse Resistance Education program met with
little criticism and its curricula spread worldwide.

In the past five years, numerous studies have shown that the effects of the
D.A.R.E. program wear off by high school. In recent months, the U.S.
surgeon general and National Academy of Sciences issued reports claiming
the D.A.R.E. approach was ineffective. A 10-year University of Kentucky
study showed that D.A.R.E. had no influence on students by the time they
were 20 years old.

D.A.R.E advocates -- and there are many -- will point to a few studies that
prove the program's effectiveness. But even these supporters must recognize
that the program's one-size-fits-all approach better fit U.S. classrooms 20
years ago. Merely because a program is popular does not mean it is the best
program for a community. Consequently, school districts -- including
Minneapolis -- have revisited their drug awareness programs and made changes.

Few suggest that children need not learn about the harmful effects of
illegal drug use in school. A comprehensive program that engages both
younger and older students sends a message about saying no to drugs at the
same time it teaches critical thinking skills, decision making and -- for
the younger children -- social skills, reading and writing.

Oakdale school and police officials have reviewed the D.A.R.E. program and
may opt for a D.A.R.E replacement that requires fewer police contact hours
and more interaction from students. The proposal might -- and should --
reach high school students.

Just saying no to growing data that points to D.A.R.E.'s ineffectiveness
does no favors for kids. Parents who are delighted that a police officer
has befriended their child need to look past that immediate gratification.
They must visualize their son or daughter at the age of 20, far removed
from a police officer but within easy distance of cocaine or heroin.