IF D.A.R.E. WERE NOT WORKING, WHY WOULD SO MANY SCHOOLS USE IT?

As a long-time observer of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program in
Port St. Lucie, I was appalled at the incompleteness of the article
written by James Kirley. D.A.R.E. is a national program and must
contribute to some degree to resistance to substance abuse or hundreds
of school districts would not include D.A.R.E. in their educational
programs.

I would challenge that there is an objective measure for D.A.R.E., Too
Good for Drugs, and Second Step. Substance abuse resistance results
from the combined effort of educational programs, family and community
involvement.

Costs for officers and deputies was shared by their communities and
the school district and a reason for discontinuing D.A.R.E. is funds.

Missing from Mr. Kirley's article are the personal efforts of officers
and deputies who each year conducted fund-raisers to support the
ancillary costs of the D.A.R.E. program. Will the outside contractors
and district staff expend their time off raising funds to help support
their programs?

Further, if Superintendent Michael Lannon considers DARE an
ineffective program, why did he take so long to replace it?

James E. Griffith

Port St Lucie

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Attachment: http://mapinc.org/temp/31RUMWXPPc_wY.html
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