D.A.R.E. PROGRAM

Nineteen years after its development, the Drug Abuse Resistance Education
(D.A.R.E.) program is still teaching children to stay away from drugs and
finding new ways to put out that message.

Patrick Shea, regional director of D.A.R.E., said the program was started
in Los Angeles in 1983 because of the gang violence and drug problems many
teenagers there were involved with. The United School District of Los
Angeles and the Los Angeles Police Department worked together to develop
the D.A.R.E. program.

D.A.R.E. is now offered in more than 80 percent of school districts
nationwide. Twenty-six million children from Kindergarten through grade 12
are exposed to D.A.R.E. nationally and 10 million more internationally.
There are more than 50,000 D.A.R.E. officers.

In Lenoir County, all fifth graders complete the D.A.R.E. program. There is
also a seventh-grade D.A.R.E. program at Woodington, E.B. Frink and
Savannah middle schools.

D.A.R.E. is a non-profit organization that is funded by the federal
government. Shea said the administrative cost for D.A.R.E. is less than 1
percent.

Books and other student materials are funded by the Safe and Drug-Free
School funds. D.A.R.E. provides teaching aids free of charge.

The D.A.R.E. program is taught by police officers. Shea said the
"officers-as-instructors" concept used by D.A.R.E. sets the program apart
and offers an opportunity for children to see that they can trust police
officers.

"It gives the officers a chance to get with the kids on a
non-confrontational basis," Shea said. "Parents tell kids, if you don't
clean up your room, I'm going to call the police.' Kids get the idea that
police are there to punish and that's not always the case."

Officer Herb Rouse, a D.A.R.E. instructor, said his students know they
don't have to be afraid of him.

"When I walk through town, I hardly ever go anywhere where my D.A.R.E. kids
don't come up and speak to me," Rouse said.

Shea said D.A.R.E. always tries to improve its program, and in doing so,
they have developed a new curriculum. The Robert Johnson Wood Foundation
provided a $13.7 million grant to the University of Akron to develop and
test a New D.A.R.E. program.

The program will be tested over five years with more than 50,000 middle-
and high-school students from Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, New Orleans,
Newark and St. Louis.

The new middle-school curriculum will have 10 classes focusing on four
areas: Understanding the consequences of use; examining their own beliefs
related to consequences and use; developing communication and resistance
skills; making positive quality of life decisions.

An initial study conducted in 11 middle schools in Ohio showed that the new
curriculum was effective in improving communication skills and beliefs
about the prevalence of substance use.

Shea said it is difficult to measure just how much of an influence D.A.R.E.
has had over the years.

"In police work, you can measure by cases," Shea said. "It is hard to
measure a preventative program."

Some doubt the effectiveness of the D.A.R.E. program. Shea said a lot of
the criticism comes from their competitors.

"In 1983 when D.A.R.E. started it was all good," Shea said. "Then it began
to be copied, and that's not a bad thing, but then there came for-profit
prevention programs. When competition is based on money things will be said."

Gerald Roberson, associate superintendent for Lenoir County Public Schools,
said D.A.R.E. has been successful because people have been supportive of
the program.

"Police officers and sheriff deputies have been excited about the program
and what it does for children," Roberson said. "There is a complete effort
from the police and sheriff departments, teachers and principals."

Rouse said he thinks D.A.R.E. is still a program that benefits children.
"Anytime you can broaden education limits it's a good thing," Rouse said.