Pubdate: Thu, 06 Feb 2003
Source: Indiana Daily Student (IN Edu)
Copyright: 2003 Indiana Daily Student
Contact:  http://www.idsnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1319
Author: Stephanie Sims
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.)

DARE PROGRAM WILL CONTINUE

State Sticks To Program Despite Talk Of Ineffectiveness

The Indiana Drug Abuse Resistance Education program will continue to 
educate students about drug awareness, despite studies indicating the 
program is ineffective.

In 1998, the University of Illinois at Chicago did a study that found DARE 
had no effect on students' drug use when they reached high school. In 1999, 
a University of Kentucky study found that DARE had no effect on student's 
drug use 10 years after completing the program. According to the Chicago 
Tribune, just last month a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 
study concluded that DARE was ineffective, and "not a very good use of 
taxpayer money."

"In order to fund programs like DARE, they must be research-based," said 
Matt Hassel, chief of police in Marshall County. Hassel was the president 
of DARE in 1993 and has been teaching DARE for 13 years. "(Robert Wood 
Johnson) researched the new DARE program, and in fact, it was proven that 
it helps students."

The Illinois program has run into such problems as cuts in funding and a 
decrease in its effectiveness.

Indiana DARE officers have experienced a few cuts in funding, but not as 
much as Illinois. In addition to money from town taxpayers and sponsors, 
the Robert Wood Johnson foundation, based in Camden, New Jersey, has 
donated $13.5 million to the DARE program. The money will be used to revamp 
the middle school and high school DARE curriculum.

"Illinois is dropping the DARE program because of problems in the economy," 
said DARE instructor and past president of DARE Lewis Corya, "not because 
of problems in the DARE program."

Corya said that in light of layoffs of police officers, DARE officers have 
been pulled only to stabilize their police force, not because the program 
is in trouble.

"(The government) is searching for a scapegoat," Corya said. "We're 
pinching along, but just because of the economy."

Jeffrey Merrill, professor of psychiatry at Robert Wood Johnson Medical 
School, told the Chicago Tribune that he believes DARE will survive because 
of the officers' loyalty to the program.

"They bring such excitement and dedication to the program that most local 
programs have become self-sustaining," Merrill said.

In response to the studies that say DARE is no longer an effective program, 
Corya disagrees. "TV glorifies the use of drugs and alcohol. If (a child's) 
family life isn't stable, if their parents aren't there to watch over them, 
this factors into drug and alcohol use. But this program can make kids 
well-educated about drugs. Kids who have graduated high school have come 
back and said I've made a difference in their lives because of DARE."

"The DARE program is very effective," Hassel added. "I feel that the new 
program will be even better."

Illinois' DARE programs are funded through the state budget. Indiana's 
programs receive very little money from state funds, getting the majority 
of their money through the town DARE is being taught in. In addition, 
sponsors donate money to the programs.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Governor George Ryan cut $1.5 million in 
state funding that would normally pay for DARE student workbooks and 
officer training. The Illinois State Police DARE training center informed 
police officers that due to the recent cut in funds, they would no longer 
be able to provide supplies used to teach DARE.
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MAP posted-by: Jackl