News

DARE has proven record of success

TCPalm.com - July 2009

John Lindsay, Regional Director, DARE America

I appreciate the difficult decisions local elected and appointed officials must often make. However, I also feel it is in the best interests of the citizens of St. Lucie County to have all of the information available so that they can make decisions that protect their children.

Issue 1: Barbara Slaga, assistant superintendent for student services at St. Lucie County schools stated, “Over time, the studies have not shown the outcomes.”

Nineteen studies since 1997 showing Drug Abuse Resistance Education is effective, including a study by the National Medical Association showing DARE graduates are five times less likely to begin smoking than non-DARE graduates.

At least 11 independent studies can be found at www.dare.org showing the proven effectiveness of the DARE program.

DARE has a new middle-school curriculum, “Keepin’ it REAL,” which is an evidence-based program listed on the National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP).

Issue 2: School Resource Officers will remain in schools to provide safety and security, support administrators and teachers and to be role models and advocates for children.

Schools can be vulnerable soft targets, I applaud the decision to keep police in schools. However, why would the St. Lucie School Board replace a system where one person was protecting and educating children with a system that will now have two people doing that same job? In tough economic times, shouldn’t we be looking for ways to trim budgets rather than grow budgets?

Issue 3: Ms. Slaga said rules for the federal Safe and Drug-Free Schools grants do not allow that money to be spent on DARE.

The U.S. Department of Education does not have a list of programs that Federal Safe and Drug-Free Schools grant money can be spent on. As a former staff director at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and one who has regular contact with the U.S. Department of Education, I would encourage anyone from the St. Lucie School District who has spoken to a specific individual at the U.S. Department of Education to provide me that information immediately.

Issue 4: Schools Superintendent Michael Lannon, referring to DARE, said, “It is not research-based and evidence-based to be able to do what it was claiming it could do ... It is not listed as a best practice; It is considered a worse practice.”

Mr. Lannon, referring to a program that is taught by 15,000 DARE police officers, in more than 12,000 communities nationwide, educating America’s youth and serving as the first line of defense in America’s schools, as a worse practice is an insult. An especially direct and unnecessary insult to the dedicated professionals of the Port St. Lucie County DARE team.

The DARE program continues to remain dynamic with enhanced lessons on issues ranging from gangs and bullying to teen OTC/prescription drug abuse and internet safety. While others talk about the one area where we have seen an increase in teen drug abuse, over-the-counter and prescription drugs, DARE has created a specific lesson to address this crisis.

As a final note, I would encourage readers to go to www.dare.org and see for themselves a Web site that now receives more than 12 million hits per month and is a resource for parents, teachers, children and community members.

I wish all the best for the children of St. Lucie County and hope this information assists the citizens, parents, and voters in making the very best decisions for those same children.

Lindsay is the Southeast Regional Director for DARE America.

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