Pubdate: Fri, 14 Nov 2003 Source: News-Examiner, The (Gallatin, TN) Copyright: 2003 The News Examiner Contact: http://www.gallatinnewsexaminer.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2711 Author: Patricia Lynch Kimbro PORTLAND WORKS TO KEEP DARE PROGRAM When Ben Patton was an impressionable fifth grader he learned drugs and alcohol could either kill him or land him behind prison bars. "I didn't want any of that. I didn't want to get addicted, and I didn't want to go to jail," says the Portland High School junior who along with his peers and most of the community were shocked to learn the Sumner County Sheriff's Department was no longer supporting the 20-year-old Drug Abuse Awareness Education program. A shortage of funding and faith in the effectiveness of the program have caused Sumner County officials to back off from the program. "Funding is short and unfortunately, DARE has a bad reputation. The state is now in the process of doing an evaluation on it," said Pat Conner, coordinator of Sumner County's Safe and Drug Free Schools. "I hate to see any drug prevention program go by the wayside, because we need any help with drug awareness we can get. It was always positive too, that the kids get to meet and be around police officers through the program. They got to respect the officers more," Conner added. Sumner County Sheriff J.D. Vandercook said his department is looking at an alternative in-house program in conjunction with the local drug court, or going with another national organization. It may not be working for others, but Portland Police and many in the community are sticking with DARE. "We're behind it 100 percent as a department," Portland Assistant Police Chief Richard Smith said yesterday. "That's why we have Officer Joey Rush. While it may not be the program for everyone, as an individual department it does work for us. Kids need something or someone to tell them the way things really are. They get too much that's not true from others and on television," Smith added. Plenty of DARE graduates, who are now in high school agree. "I've never smoked, used drugs or alcohol because I learned in the fifth grade from Officer (Eula) Vaughn, that those things could damage your health or kill you. I'm, an athletic person, and I stay clean," Tonya Hann, a 15-year-old Portland High School freshman, said Wednesday. Rush, an eight year veteran DARE instructor, says the statistics he reads show that "students who completed the DARE program were five times less likely to start smoking compared to youngsters who did not participate in the program. "This evaluation of 5th and 6th graders in Nashville was conducted by researchers at the Meharry School of Medicine," Rush said. And according to a prepared statement by DARE America's President Glenn Levant, "this study validates what DARE instructors, graduates and parents have known for years. DARE works." When teachers and parents in Portland learned there would be no DARE funding through the county, they formed a committee and approached the mayor and board of Portland with a request for funding, according to Steve Hilgadiack, principal of Clyde Riggs Elementary School in Portland. "The DARE Committee, is trying to raise money, in hopes the city council will kick in some funding. I understand several businesses are donating money," Hilgadiack said yesterday. "That's what's so special about here. When folks learned money was an issue, they began working on getting the funds, so we can keep the program in our two elementary schools," Rush said. Mayor Jim Calloway could not be reached for comment at press time yesterday. For more information about supporting DARE, contact Rush or Smith at Portland Police, 325-2061.