Pubdate: Wed, 17 Jul 2002
Source: Glendale News-Press (CA)
Copyright: 2002 Times Community Newspapers
Contact:  http://www.latimes.com/tcn/glendale/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/167
Author: Robert Sharpe
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.)

NATION NEEDS EFFECTIVE DRUG POLICY

Glendale educators need to consider that good intentions are no substitute 
for effective anti-drug education.

Every independent, methodologically sound evaluation of the Drug Abuse 
Resistance Education (DARE) program has found it to be either ineffective 
or counterproductive.

The scare tactics used do more harm than good.

Students who realize they are being lied to about marijuana often make the 
mistake of assuming that harder drugs like heroin are relatively harmless 
as well.

This is a recipe for disaster.

Drug education programs must be reality-based or they may backfire when 
kids are inevitably exposed to drug use among their peers.

Minimizing drug use requires strategies based on proven effectiveness, not 
"feel good" programs that please parents, educators and police.

ROBERT SHARPE, Program officer

Drug Policy Alliance

Washington, D.C.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart