DARE TO END INEFFECTIVE ANTI-DRUG PROGRAM IN HOUSTON

It is safe to assume that few people would want to continue a program that
costs millions of dollars but helps only a few people. That is especially
true if the program's costs are borne by taxpayers. For some reason, though,
years of studies showing the anti-drug program DARE does not keep students
off drugs have failed to persuade Houston city officials to stop funding it.

Launched in 1983 by Los Angeles police and schools, DARE, which stands for
Drug Abuse Resistance Education, costs Houston taxpayers $3.7 million a
year, including $3.3 million to pay salaries and benefits for the 63 police
officers who teach the program. Along with lectures, "Hugs not Drugs" bumper
stickers, T-shirts, pencils and other paraphernalia are part of the DARE
curriculum for about 27,000 fifth-graders and 24,000 seventh-graders.

Meanwhile, the evidence of DARE's ineffectiveness keeps mounting. In 1994,
the Research Triangle Institute, a university-affiliated research
organization in Durham, N.C., concluded that DARE's short-term effectiveness
is small and less than the success of programs that emphasize social skills
and use interactive teaching strategies, such as role-playing. A study
presented at the 1997 American Psychological Association found that DARE
failed to lessen students' use of alcohol, cigarettes or marijuana six years
later.

In an independent report, University of Houston social science professor
Bruce Gay found Houston's DARE program "only marginally successful" at its
primary goal. Nor does DARE increase homework time, prevent truancy, raise
educational aspirations or improve attitudes toward school.

According to Gay, Houston's DARE program actually increased negative
feelings toward law enforcement.

Today's students have heard anti-drug messages their whole school careers,
yet drug use is increasing. These findings have prompted DARE advocates only
to call for increasing the funding and scope of DARE lessons. But
fine-tuning DARE is something program advocates have had 12 years in Houston
schools to do.

It makes no sense to continue funding DARE or any other program with a track
record for failure. The 63 police officers in the program would be better
employed patrolling unsafe neighborhoods, while community volunteers could
be used to lecture children about the dangers of drugs.

It is time to just say no to DARE in Houston.

Checked-by: Rolf Ernst