Pubdate: Thu, 02 Nov 2000 Source: Braintree and Witham Times (UK) Copyright: 2000 Quicksilver Media Contact: 76 High Street, Braintree, Essex CM7 1JP Feedback: http://www.thisisessex.co.uk/scripts/email.asp?section=Email%20The%20Editor Website: http://www.thisisessex.co.uk/ Forum: http://www.thisisessex.co.uk/scripts/bb/bbuser_readandcomment.asp?board=137& Note: 'Braintree and Witham Times' is an autonomous sister paper of the 'Evening Gazette' Author: Don Barnard Cited: Legalise Cannabis Alliance: http://www.lca-uk.org/ EXPENSIVE WASTE OF TIME RE; THE report "Essex Police organise training to combat drug use in schools". (BWT October 18). This heading is incorrect -- Essex Police have nothing to do with this training course. The report also implied Drug Awareness resistance Education (DARE) was a 'new' initiative aimed at combating drugs in schools Not so: DARE was the brainchild (in the early 1980s) of Los Angeles Police Chief Daryl Gates and is widely taught throughout the US. America is deluged with DARE paraphernalia -- including bears, bumper stickers, buttons, hats and jeeps. DARE has everything, except good results. Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson recently removed DARE from the City schools and all the UK Home Office evaluations of DARE show it to be an expensive waste of time and money and advise police forces against its use. Essex Police have rejected DARE. So, if Essex Police are not involved, the MDP are only hosting the course and the Home Office have rejected DARE -- just who is running this show? Why would an American police officer travel to the UK to learn about a strategy which has already begun to flounder in his own country? Don Barnard, Legalise Cannabis Alliance, Aetheric Road, Braintree. - --- MAP posted-by: Eric Ernst