DARE PROGRAM IS EFFECTIVE:

I was disappointed to see your reporter Carla Crowder write such a
one-sided article about DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education). I noticed
she failed to do follow-up and gather both sides of the issue. The article
was filled with misinformation.

The DARE program has been totally rewritten by the University of Akron in
Ohio and is now taught by DARE officers all over the world. The university
is in the process of completing a study on the new DARE program, which
should be released soon.

I urge readers to contact their local DARE officer or the state coordinator
of DARE training, Sgt. Rick Nelson of the Huntsville Police Department,
regarding local/statewide studies done in their communities. I know that
Birmingham and Jefferson County have very large, successful DARE programs,
and I thank them for all the hard work they do with young people.

I have seen firsthand the results of their work, and I know that DARE is
effective.

Sheri Hall

Tupelo, Miss.