Pubdate: Tue, 26 Mar 2002 Source: Advocate, The (LA) Copyright: 2002 The Advocate, Capital City Press Contact: http://www.theadvocate.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2 DON'T RESTORE DARE FUNDS The Foster administration has suggested cutting $3 million out of next year's state budget for the Drug Abuse Resistance Education, or DARE, program. Carried out locally by sheriff's deputies, the program teaches elementary school children to resist peer pressure to try illegal drugs or alcohol. The program has some merit. DARE lets children meet law enforcement officers on a friendly basis, and most parents like it. The program is a great community relations tool. Unfortunately, DARE has not been an effective tool in reducing marijuana, alcohol and nicotine use among school children. A 2001 study by the U.S. surgeon general concluded that DARE provides little or no deterrence in substance use. Citing the lack of scientific proof of the program's effectiveness, the U.S. Department of Education also stopped funding DARE in 2000. Because of its popularity, communities should be given the opportunity to continue DARE funding at the local level. Doing so would provide more local accountability in communities that decided to keep it. The state should not force all taxpayers to keep funding a program that has shown little effectiveness. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens