Pubdate: Sun, 02 Apr 2006
Source: Miami Herald (FL)
Copyright: 2006 The Miami Herald
Contact:  http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/262
Author: John Lindsay
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

D.A.R.E. HELPS KEEP KIDS SAFE, INFORMED

In the Feb. 16 column, Boot camps are worthless, should get boot, 
Fred Grimm attempted to link boot camps with the D.A.R.E. program. In 
the March 26 Five Questions interview, Turning kids from crime, 
Carlos Martinez, Miami-Dade County's chief assistant public defender, 
also sought to link the scared-straight approach to D.A.R.E. Neither 
of them referred to any studies, recent or ancient.

D.A.R.E. is currently in 75 percent of school districts nationwide. 
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse's Monitoring the 
Future Study, teenage drug use continues to fall, decreasing 19 
percent during the past four years. Can D.A.R.E. take all of the 
credit? Of course not, but D.A.R.E. is not Scared Straight.

Before being allowed to teach D.A.R.E., a police officer must 
successfully complete 80 hours of intensive training. Unfortunately, 
not all police officers who begin the training complete it.

The foundation of the D.A.R.E. curricula includes science-based 
principles of prevention, as well as age-appropriate reading 
material. All curricula are written by a national panel of curriculum 
and prevention experts. Does D.A.R.E. work?

Let's look at the science and the recent studies:

Since 1997 there have been 18 studies conducted on D.A.R.E. showing 
positive results. The most eye-opening study was published by the 
Journal of the National Medical Association showing that D.A.R.E 
graduates are five times less likely to begin smoking than 
non-D.A.R.E. graduates.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation currently is conducting a 
five-year study involving more than 19,000 students from 83 high 
schools and 122 middle schools. The study, now in its fourth year, 
shows positive results as more students decide against using drugs; 
more find drug use socially inappropriate and believe fewer peers 
used drugs; fewer students reported an intent to use inhalants; and 
more students learned how to refuse drugs.

D.A.R.E. has also put together scientific, educational and law- 
enforcement boards to provide guidance and direction. Our National 
Conference now has learning tracts for D.A.R.E. officers and 
educators. Our website, www.dare.com, receives more than 11 million 
hits a month, providing valuable information to not just D.A.R.E. 
officers but anyone seeking reliable and timely information on drug 
prevention. Other family resources also are available at the site.

JOHN LINDSAY, regional director, D.A.R.E. America, Miami
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman