RESEARCH PROVES D.A.R.E. IS COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME

In your editorial of Dec. 26 ("Teen smokers"), you cite a 15-year study
showing the ineffectiveness of the current anti-smoking program in our
schools and righteously demand better. And you should.

Recently, the Office of National Drug Control Policy released statistics
showing Alaska's children with the highest rates of cigarette, alcohol,
inhalant and other drug abuse in the country. Is there moral outcry
demanding better drug education? Why not? Because you don't dare criticize
D.A.R.E.

D.A.R.E has been the primary drug "education" program since the early '90s.
It continues as such despite overwhelming evidence it doesn't work. The
University of North Carolina, the University of Kentucky, the City of
Detroit, and Salt Lake City among others have all done studies that show
the same thing: D.A.R.E. is a complete waste of time and money.

The cops will give you treacly stories about "the kids" and how "the
relationships with the kids" are more important than any substantive
results. They will poo-poo the peer-reviewed studies showing its failures.
We pay good money for D.A.R.E. and expect to see results. D.A.R.E. seems to
have made the problem worse. What happens to those "relationships" when it
fails? Will that "relationship" make a bit of difference when a 18-year-old
kid is confronted with a mandatory minimum sentence and a judge with his
hands tied?

- -- George Comeaux

Anchorage