Pubdate: Sun, 19 Aug 2001
Source: Chattanooga Times & Free Press (TN)
Copyright: 2001 Chattanooga Publishing Co.
Contact:  http://www.timesfreepress.com/index.html
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/992
Author: Dick Cook
Note: Staff writer Beverly Carroll contributed to this story.
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.)

DARE PROGRAM DEFENDED, QUESTIONED

Law enforcement officials are split over whether the area's decade-old Drug 
Awareness Resistance Education program still is an effective way to teach 
children the dangers of drugs.

"Is DARE the perfect solution to the nation's drug problem? Of course not," 
Chattanooga Police Chief Jimmie Dotson said. "But I believe DARE is still 
effective and is still worth the investment."

However, Hamilton County Sheriff John Cupp said the fact that DARE America, 
the corporate arm of the program based in Los Angeles, is revising the 
program for next year is an indication that something is wrong.

"You don't write a new program if the old one is effective," Sheriff Cupp said.

The DARE program began in Los Angeles in 1983. It was introduced in 
Hamilton County in 1990, officials said. The program is a 17-week 
curriculum for fifth-graders that teaches them about the physical and 
psychological effects of drugs and alcohol.

DARE has received mixed reviews around the country, officials said. Some 
studies show no difference in drug use rates between students who have gone 
through the program and those who have not.

Orchard Knob Elementary School principal LaMonte Vaughn said he believes 
the DARE program has been effective.

"Many children have negative things happening in their lives and this is 
one way of making them aware of positive ways to handle (problems)," Mr. 
Vaughn said.

Fifth-graders at Orchard Knob said Friday they are looking forward to the 
program because they have heard about it from family members and friends 
who are DARE graduates.

"My cousin said it will help you stay out of jail," Breanna Parris said.

Jaquita Johnson said the program teaches students how to keep a safe 
environment.

Chief Dotson said he is aware of studies that criticize the program, but 
feels it wouldn't be a good idea to pull the four officers and the 
$50,000-a-year budget his department provides for it.

"I believe it would be unwise to eliminate this program before we have the 
framework in place to create a replacement program, which we can be assured 
will be more effective and more efficient than DARE," Chief Dotson said.

Todd Womack, a spokesman for Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker, said the mayor 
would defer to the judgment of law enforcement officials on the 
effectiveness of DARE.

"The mayor will be evaluating this and other programs as we continue on," 
he said.

Sgt. Sam Madison, who supervises Chattanooga Police Department DARE 
officers, said the program's curriculum is being revised for the first time 
since 1983 not because it's ineffective, but to make it more relevant to 
children in the 21st century.

"It's the largest law enforcement education program in the world," Sgt. 
Madison said. "It's been around since 1983. How can it exist that long if 
it's not effective?"

The curriculum is being changed to encourage school children to interact 
with the officer/instructor instead of listening to presentations, he said.

Sheriff Cupp, who started a DARE pilot program in Hamilton County in 1989, 
has one deputy teaching the program. He said DARE costs his department 
$100,000 a year.

"The question is, do you continue to teach the program or wait on a new 
curriculum?" he said.

The sheriff said there's a misconception about the mission of DARE.

"It's not a drug education program. It's a program that teaches refusal 
skills," he said. "That's good for shoplifting, theft, whatever. Those 
principles are good."
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager