Pubdate: Tue, 12 Mar 2002 Source: Cecil Whig (MD) Website: http://www.cecilwhig.com Address: P.O. Box 429 Elkton, MD 21922 Contact: 2002 Cecil Whig Fax: (410) 398-4044 Author: Carla Correa Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.) NUMBERS SHOW NEED FOR D.A.R.E. INTERVENTION Fighting Drugs: Second Of Two Parts Pop quiz: What is drug abuse? What is the legal age for purchasing and possessing tobacco products in Maryland? D.A.R.E. is short for what four words? Spencer, a sixth grader at Cherry Hill Middle School, almost received a perfect score on his 25-question multiple choice D.A.R.E. pretest. The only answer he didn't know was the words that form the program's acronym - it's Drug Abuse Resistance Education. Cpl. Scott Adams of the Cecil County Sheriff's Office later clued in Spencer and his classmates that it's written on the front of their D.A.R.E. books. The pretest is given to all D.A.R.E. students before they receive any instruction. They take the same exam, renamed the post-test, after three weeks of tutelage under Adams. On the post-test, Spencer and students Jason and Josh fared better - they received perfect scores. Overall, the sixth-graders' scores averaged 67 percent on the pretest. That grade went up to 87 percent after the children participated in their "D.A.R.E. cycle" - a period from Feb. 11 to March 4 during which they spent about four hours per week under the guidance of Adams. Most Cecil D.A.R.E. students show the same learning curve, Adams said. Adams engaged the students in workbook drills, hands-on activities and discussions, not only to raise the test average, but to help combat the drug and violence problem affecting today's youth. However, instead of just discussing what drugs do, he spent a majority of his time assuring the students that self-esteem, confidence and goals are the keys to a successful, drug-free future. The final product "This program is good," sixth-grader Joel said. "It teaches you about drugs . . . . but also the consequences of drugs. When I say consequences, I mean bad ones." Joel's opinion is shared by all of his classmates in their D.A.R.E. essays. The paper is a requirement to "graduate" from the D.A.R.E. program, as well as a graded assignment for health class. All of the kids complete their essays on time, and three students make posters for Adams, too. "I would have never used drugs, and now that I have learned how dangerous it can be, the thought of trying them won't even enter my mind," said Spencer, who won a medallion for the best D.A.R.E. work at Cherry Hill Middle this past month. "I know many people who smoke or used to smoke; my grandmother died from it. "I will never use drugs, and I hope no one else who has had D.A.R.E. will either." His classmate Kari agreed. "I will be pressured, but I know many ways to say no," she said. "I have also learned that even when others do things you should do what you know in your mind is right and less harmful to you and others. "I have used drugs before, you have too, like flu medication, aspirin or any medication, but I promise not to abuse drugs." Another plus to D.A.R.E. is that students interact with law enforcement in a positive atmosphere, Adams said. "They get to see police on a different level, not just stopping somebody and giving a ticket," he said. The students were interested in finding out if Adams carried a gun, knife or pepper spray, and at both the beginning and end of the D.A.R.E. unit they asked if he had ever shot somebody or apprehended a criminal. He explained to the children that his job was not to use weapons, but to protect people's safety. The trust and rapport between teacher and student was evident in the essays, too - some children added a personal touch. "Dear Deputy Scott," sixth-grader Alycia read aloud. "I want to take this time to thank you for teaching us about D.A.R.E. "I don't want to hurt my family or ruin my education," she added. "Drugs and violence only kill and damage your body." The numbers Although each sixth-grader since 1991 has made the same promises as this year's D.A.R.E students, many children choose to use drugs, according to the Maryland Adolescent Survey. Every two years, some of Maryland's sixth, eighth, 10th and 12th graders are surveyed to determine the nature, extent and trend of substance use. It is self-reported and has a margin of error, Adams said, but it is the only way to measure drug activity. In 2001, the numbers were down slightly. The three "gateway drugs" - tobacco, alcohol and marijuana, continually have the highest use among students, and those numbers rise as children approach 12th grade. For example, cigarette use in 2001 saw levels of 5.7 percent in sixth grade, 15.8 percent in eighth grade, 22.6 percent in 10th and 28.1 percent in 12th grade. All of those numbers are down since 1994. In 2001, 9.1 percent of sixth-graders, 29.2 percent of eighth-graders, 41.6 percent of 10th-graders and 54.5 percent of 12th-graders used some form of alcohol. Overall, those numbers are down since 1994 as well. The number drops further when students are asked if they consumed five or more servings of alcohol on the same occasion. About 2.7 percent of sixth-graders have used marijuana. That number increases to 13.8 percent in eighth grade, 24.3 percent in 10th grade and 28 percent in 12th grade. There was a rise in use amongst sixth- and eighth-graders since 1992, but figures for 10th- and 12th-graders indicate about a 2 percent drop. Survey participants said about 5 percent or less had tried other drugs, such as cocaine, heroin and steroids. The biggest jump was for Cecil's 12th-graders who used designer drugs, such as ecstasy. In 1998, only 0.8 reported use, while 10.5 percent admitted use in 2001. Heroin use also fell among eighth-graders, from 4.8 percent in 1998 to 0.9 in 2001. Nationwide, critics have condemned the D.A.R.E. program, saying it is ineffective at keeping children drug-free. And, while Adams admits no anti-drug curriculum will totally end drug abuse and violence, he said critics use unreliable statistics. Adams added that local law enforcement officers and kids believe it is working in Cecil County. "The people that say it won't work are looking for a program to totally solve the drug problem," he said. "When people decide not to use drugs, then the supply will go away. "I think that drug education has to start as soon as they're old enough to know what a drug is, and then continue throughout their schooling years." Last words Cherry Hill Middle School student Jessica summed up Adams' take on the program in her final essay. In addition to rattling off definitions, facts and statistics, she captured his focus on goals and consequences and put them into her own words. "That is not the life I want to have or the person I want to be," she said. "If you don't believe in yourself, you're never going to go anywhere." Adams said he saves every D.A.R.E. essay, and told the children that he is holding them to their written promises. "If I should ever have to arrest you down the road, I'll be pulling your D.A.R.E. essay out and tell you to read it," Adams tells the students after he hands them their graduation certificates. "It's easy to write an essay. Make it more than that." - --- MAP posted-by: Beth