DARE: PROGRAM USELESS, POTENTIALLY RISKY

Re: Sgt. Greg Fels' Sept. 4 letter, "Program does make a difference."

Not one single study has proven the D.A.R.E. program to be any more
effective in keeping kids from experimenting with drugs than kids who
didn't go through the program. A couple of studies have actually shown a
higher rate of use among the D.A.R.E. graduates.

Even Los Angeles, the city where the D.A.R.E. program was created, has
dumped this expensive failure.

Sgt. Fels' anecdotal attempt to justify the D.A.R.E. program points out how
useless and potentially dangerous the misinformation being given to young
people is.

If anybody tries to give you a controlled substance, the only thing you
should do is say "no." The D.A.R.E. graduate lauded by Sgt. Fels became a
criminal when he took possession of the controlled substance. The second
mistake the misinformed student made was putting his mother at risk by
bringing a controlled substance into their house. This D.A.R.E.-induced
foolish act could have landed the child in foster care, his mom in prison
and the family's house and other possessions could have been seized for
police profit.

There is no legal way to illegally possess a controlled substance. The
police know this; just look at the number of arrests they make.

Sgt. Fels' letter proves that teachers belong in the classroom and police
belong on the streets catching real criminals.

Carl Smith, Ozark