ON EFFECTIVENESS OF DARE PROGRAM

I have been involved with the DARE program since 1989, having taught in the
Westwood Regional School District, at Immaculate Heart Academy in
Washington Township. I have trained thousands of DARE officers throughout
the nation and world, and currently I serve as New Jersey's DARE coordinator.

"DARE to change" (Editorial, March 6) omits crucial information. Not one
paragraph mentions that 50 studies have shown the positive effects of DARE.
You point out that growing evidence indicates the deterrent effects of the
program wear off by the last year in high school and beyond. In other
words, the 17 DARE lessons a child receives at age 10 have residual effects
for seven to eight years and that's not reported as a significant positive
outcome? Should this be considered a negative? Many parents, schools,
police departments, and government officials would certainly laud that
achievement.

Ohio State University and Houston studies comparing DARE and non-DARE
students show what happens when children receive reinforcement lessons at
the junior high and senior high levels. DARE students demonstrated lower
drug involvement, and they had better peer resistance skills and enhanced
communications skills with family members regarding substance abuse and
violence.

These outcomes clearly indicate the need for New Jersey schoolchildren to
receive this program beyond the elementary level. However, at this time,
New Jersey has 400 law enforcement agencies delivering DARE. Only 196
implement a junior high component, 56 the senior high curriculum.

Your reference to a new approach that requires active participation in the
program, rather than just listening to a lecture, shows you are not
familiar with the current curriculum. Every student is assigned to
cooperative learning groups in nearly every lesson. They discuss various
situations, with group discussion guided by the DARE officer. The new
approach will enhance this methodology because current research indicates
it works best.

Carl Mittelhammer, Westwood, March 8