CRITICS WRONG ABOUT DARE'S EFFECTIVENESS

Good Anti-Drug Education

Critics of DARE don't ask for much.

Only that a program that teaches fifth- and sixth-graders about the dangers
of drugs inoculate these youths from using illegal substances through high
school for . . . oh . . . the next eight years or so.

That the program, called Drug Abuse Resistance Education, which lasts only
17 weeks in many schools, protect youths from peer pressure, from music and
videos that glorify many drugs, and from movies that practically celebrate
the use of alcohol, marijuana and cocaine.

Simple task.

The wonder is that the program, taught by police officers in many
Phoenix-area schools and in about 40 percent of schools in the state, is as
effective as it is. Name another program taught once a week for four months
that is expected to work for eight years or more.

A recent report by the state Office of the Auditor General critical of DARE
suggested that DARE is ineffective in preventing or reducing adolescent
substance-abuse behavior. The audit drew heavily on other studies around the
country that show DARE wears off by the time students enter their senior
year of high school or head off to college.

If that's the best critics can come up with, it sounds like a pretty good
return to us on an investment made years ago.

Many of the audit's findings are rejected by the Arizona Department of
Public Safety and a drug expert who dismisses the audit as "academic
gossip."

Supporters cite dozens of other studies that show DARE reduces drug use,
boosts peer resistance and has a positive effect on kids' views of the
police.

DARE's biggest weakness is that in many schools it is a single-shot program
of 17 weeks. Studies suggest DARE is more effective when coupled with other
health programs or when its anti-drug message is reinforced in later grades.

DARE's curriculum has evolved over the years and officials are now testing a
program that shifts more emphasis to seventh grade and adds a booster shot
in ninth grade. DARE is seeking to add more activities based on real-world
problems with less lecturing by police officers, and getting students to
learn on their own.

Finally, DARE is stressing that most students don't use drugs - a message
that is often lost in the haze of warnings and other information presented
to students.

Parents overwhelmingly support DARE. The police put their own money into it.
Most students are gung-ho about it and proud of the certificates they
receive for completing the program. Parents and society need every tool they
can muster in protecting children and young adults from drugs.

As Arizona's state police point out: "The problem is not DARE. The problem
is the void the children are walking into when they leave that DARE
classroom."

The key to ensuring a drug-free future for children is drug-education
programs like DARE, strong community involvement and parents who are
involved in their kids' lives.