IS D.A.R.E. WORTH THE MONEY?

The Drug Abuse Resistance Education program came under attack Wednesday
night when the guest speaker for the Drug Policy Forum of Oklahoma, Roger
Hudlin, pointed out some of the program's flaws and shortfalls.

Most Oklahoma natives can remember the D.A.R.E. days we had only ever so
often in primary and secondary school. Drugs are bad. Smoking is bad.
Alcohol is bad. You can trust a teacher. You can trust a police officer.

There is bounties of knowledge and wisdom we've picked up since sitting in
a circle cross-legged listening to police officer who has about as much
teaching experience as the students sitting in from of him. Since we've
been taught to think critically and examine arguments, we realize how
pointless and probably how ineffective that particular program was and
still is.

Hudlin makes some convincing arguments about the D.A.R.E. program, which
make it hard not to dislike it even more. Almost half a trillion dollars
are being spent to fight drugs, but more and more Americans are becoming
addicted to drugs with no steady decrease in sight. The drug program alone
costs $1.4 billion to operate.

The program also lumps tobacco and alcohol in the same category as hardcore
drugs. While most kids see people drinking and smoking sometime in their
day, even on TV, they realize there are no direct consequences for smoking
or drinking, which they may relate to drug usage, considering what they
have been taught.

It's not the message under attack - it's the delivery. Until we can find
something that works, let's have the teachers teach about drugs. Who else
could use those billions more than them?