STUDY REINFORCES BENEFITS OF SCHOOL DARE PROGRAM

Police officers who teach the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education)
program have long relied on anecdotal evidence to measure their success.

Now a new study helps prove what they've always believed.

True, the report by the Washington-based Journal of the National Medical
Association (NMA), focuses only on smoking, but its results still bolster
the view that DARE in fact does have a positive impact on its young
participants.

The study found that students, who completed the DARE program, were five
times less likely to start smoking, compared to youngsters who didn't
participate.

Researchers also found a direct correlation between knowledge about the
risks of smoking and increases in smoking avoidance.

"This study validates what DARE instructors, DARE graduates and their
parents have known for years -- DARE works," said DARE America president
Glenn Levant. "Through DARE's comprehensive curriculum, students are armed
with the tools needed to reject destructive behaviours such as smoking,
drinking and taking drugs."

The 17-week DARE program -- presented to all grade 6 students from both
school boards in Halton -- provides young people with the self-esteem and
will power to refuse offers of drugs and alcohol, options how to deal with
the stress of peer pressure and means to solve problems without resorting
to violence. This year alone, more than 36 million children in 55 countries
were enrolled in DARE.

Quantifying the fact that the program works isn't about ego, said Halton
Regional Police Education Services Co-ordinator Sgt. Joe Prasad, but is
important for several very pragmatic reasons.

First, Sgt. Prasad said some hard evidence will help fundraisers when they
approach area service clubs and other groups for financial contributions to
help keep Halton's $500,000 DARE program up and running.

When someone asks about supporting studies -- as they invariably do, says
Sgt. Prasad -- the NMA's smoking findings will be invaluable.

Earlier this year, the Halton public and Catholic school boards withdrew
their financial support for the program citing budget restraints.

"We need to get the support behind us," said Sgt. Prasad.

Sgt. Prasad has no illusions that every child will be steered away from
smoking, drugs and violence -- just as driving instructors know it's
impossible that none of their students will ever get into an accident.

"We hope they will have learned from this and take it through their adult
life, but we have to be practical," he said.

"Still, it's incumbent on us to teach children these life skills. Society
will be better for that."