HISTORY BACKS UP DARE'S VALUE TO COMMUNITIES AND FAMILIES

Dear Mayor Moeller:

While the Times Herald's article stated your community's support for
our program, Shannon Murphy did not research DARE's successes and I
would like to set the record straight. I would appreciate your
sharing this information with your City Council for their consideration.

Here are only a few of Murphy's omissions regarding DARE-America's history:

Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency: DARE grads are less
likely to use inhalants, crack cocaine and smokeless tobacco.

Research and Educational Services of Louisiana: DARE grads are
significantly less likely to have friends who use marijuana.

National Medical Association: DARE grads are five times less likely
to start smoking.

DARE is constantly improving itself. It was the only prevention
program in the world selected to participate in the largest and most
complex evaluation in the history of drug prevention. This study has
helped teachers and administrators cope with the ever-challenging
issues of drug use, school violence and terrorism in our public schools.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation provided a $13.7 million grant to
the University of Akron to develop and test DARE's new curricula for
over five years with a sampling of over 19,000 students in six U.S. cities.

DARE has successfully designed and tested the next generation of
research-based school curricula, matching the best prevention science
with DARE's unparalleled delivery system in elementary, middle and
high schools AND with the assistance of a solid, cohesive parent program.

More Murphy omissions:

Currently DARE's new over-the-counter drug and anti-bullying programs
spent $600,000 for curricula and DARE officer training. All of this
at no cost to your local DARE.

Our classroom workbooks (which cost only 89 cents), literature and
merchandise still sell at deeply discounted prices to your local DARE.

Our annual DARE Toys for Tots toy drive - that's right, we have
teamed up with the U.S. Marine Corps - will help needy children and
families in your area for the holidays.

We just finished donating truckloads of food, clothing and toys to
Minnesota, Texas, Louisiana, Florida and also Bangkok, Thailand.

I just returned from a Houston City Hall event where Jarvis Johnson
was pleased to receive $1,200 and $1,500 in toys for his local DARE
program. As I'm writing this email, an international DARE toy drive
container is being assembled and filled for needy Iraqi children. In
the wake of 9-1-1 due to Homeland Security budget cuts, we at
DARE-America must raise funds like any major charity. We have
received a huge groundswell of public support. Worldwide, 36 million
students graduate from DARE each year in 54 countries (26 million
within the U.S.) and our Web site www.dare.com receives 19 million
hits every month. No matter what some say, DARE works!

All of us at DARE-America are law enforcement and educators and we
try our best to help our local DAREs.

I ask your City Council to join DARE-America's winning team. If they
don't make DARE work for Port Huron's children, we all know who the
winner is then: the drug dealer.