ST. LUCIE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT RIGHT IN DARING TO MAKE DRUG
CURRICULUM CHANGE

There is no doubt the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program taught
in the public schools by law-enforcement officers is popular.

The most widespread anti-drug and anti-alcohol education program in
the nation and used in about 75 percent of school districts, DARE is
popular among students, parents, teachers and law-enforcement
agencies. It has been around a long time and has become as much a part
of the school experience as other classroom or extracurricular activities.

So, for the St. Lucie County School District to consider eliminating
the DARE program, there had to be a good reason. That reason is
simple. Numerous studies of DARE have determined it is ineffective in
reducing drug and alcohol use among participants and, according to
some studies, may even be detrimental.

The program has been criticized by the U.S. Government Accountability
Office, the National Academy of Sciences and the U.S. Surgeon General.
Federal grants through the Department of Education's Safe and
Drug-Free Schools program cannot be used for DARE because of its lack
of success.

That does not mean DARE is completely without merit. It most
definitely does not mean that those police officers and deputies who
are instructors in the program are not committed to helping young
people stay away from drugs. They deserve commendation for their efforts.

DARE's primary benefit appears to be the interaction and relationships
between the officers and the students who become more comfortable with
and more understanding of the role of law-enforcement officers in general.

That's important and should be continued through school resource
officers and through other means if DARE is discontinued.

DARE would be replaced with a program called Too Good for Drugs, which
would be taught by substance abuse prevention specialists from New
Horizons of the Treasure Coast.

In addition, the district is considering eliminating the Gang
Resistance and Education Training, or GREAT program, also taught by
law-enforcement officers, and replacing it with a program called
Second Step, which would be taught by school guidance counselors and
student services specialists.

Barbara Slaga, assistant superintendent for student services for the
district, said, "I know that, at a point in time, (DARE) was a
preferred program. Over time, the studies have not shown the outcomes
- - and there are programs that do that."

Every program in the school district should be evaluated periodically
to determine if it is achieving its desired goals. If one doesn't seem
to be working, it should be replaced. That's what the district is
doing, particularly with the DARE program.

The school district and the community at large want schoolchildren to
avoid drugs and gangs and violence. If the new programs don't work,
they, too, should be replaced until greater and more lasting successes
are found.

Changing or eliminating an established program is rarely easy in a
major organization such as the school district. But, if anything, this
change may be overdue.