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D.A.R.E. Works! A Police Chief's Perspective |
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Joseph A. Santoro, Chief of Police Monrovia Police Department 140 E. Lime Monrovia, CA 91016 |
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| In Monrovia, we believe the most promising frontier in America's longstanding war on drugs is not overseas, in lands ruled by drug overlords, or on the mean streets of America. | |
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The most promising frontier is in the classroom. Classrooms where school children are receiving face-to-face instruction that is giving them the skills and techniques necessary to protect themselves from drug abuse. There is solid truth in the old saying that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." D.A.R.E., with the support of parents and the community, can help reduce the number of children who fall prey to smoking, drinking and illicit drugs. D.A.R.E. is the single largest and most widely used substance abuse prevention program in the world. It is working in Monrovia, and in all 50 states and 54 countries around the world - benefiting over 36 million school children each year. A recent study of 3,150 high school juniors in Ohio found that students who completed two or more semesters of D.A.R.E. in elementary school were 50 percent less likely to become high-risk abusers of drugs and alcohol than were students who were not exposed to D.A.R.E. The study further concluded that D.A.R.E. strengthens peer resistance skills that enable youths to reject pressures to experiment with drugs or alcohol and students are more likely to discuss with their parents the dangers of getting drunk or using drugs. Also, a study of Houston, Texas schools revealed that students from both middle and high school programs reported a heightened awareness of tobacco, alcohol, drug, weapon, and theft problems on their campus as a result of the D.A.R.E. program. The average response by parents to "should the D.A.R.E. program be continued" was 5.85 out of 6. D.A.R.E.'s mission is to teach children about the dangers of drugs and provide them with the skills to not just say no - but how to say no. The D.A.R.E. curriculum is periodically revised and enhanced to address the ever-changing needs of young people. But its methods remain the same - don't just lecture kids by saying "drugs are bad" - provide them with credible instructors and the tools to understand and resist the pressures that lead to drugs, alcohol, violence and gangs. By getting the message from a street-wise police officer - one who has been out there - one who knows how drugs and alcohol can destroy lives - kids take that message seriously. In an effort to continually improve their program, D.A.R.E. has joined forces with the University of Akron and the prestigious Robert Wood Johnson (RWJ) Foundation to evaluate and develop new curricula. D.A.R.E.'s intent is to design the next generation of research-based school curricula for substance abuse and violence prevention. RWJ and the University of Akron have chosen D.A.R.E. as the model to collectively create and maintain the gold standard of drug prevention. Other programs were considered, but D.A.R.E. offered the most potential for addressing the needs of America's youth. The Monrovia Police Department and Monrovia School District are excited to have been selected to participate in a five-year study to help develop a cutting-edge revision of the D.A.R.E. program. The D.A.R.E. curriculum in Monrovia is taught the way it was designed to be taught. First, we teach basic D.A.R.E. in our fifth grade elementary school classes. It is then reinforced in our seventh grade classes, and later in ninth grade classes. Monrovia officers also teach the D.A.R.E. Parenting Program. This program is held one night per week for six weeks. The Police Department provides free childcare for parents during the classes. It is well understood by experts that school-based drug prevention must be a part of an overall strategy and reinforcement, which must include continuous drug education, strong community commitment, and most important - parental involvement. Despite all the things that D.A.R.E. is - there is one thing that D.A.R.E. is not - it is not a "magic wand" that will make the drug problem in Monrovia, America or anywhere in the world disappear. D.A.R.E. is not and never was intended to be a cure-all to this nation's drug problem - it is, however, an important foundation on which to build drug prevention efforts. The results of the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse for 2003 show that progress has been made in a key age group, 12-13 year-olds, and that overall drug usage rates have continued their downward spiral since the 1999 survey. This annual survey is a highly respected benchmark of illegal drug use in America. It is time to set the record straight - D.A.R.E. has played a key role in the overall national drug prevention strategy that has helped enable America to reach this important milestone. Community efforts have also played a key role, as has the vital role of individual parents and family members who each day, at home and at work, make this subject one of their highest priorities. The common denominator in the collective efforts of the team - government, law enforcement, health care providers, religious organizations, schools and families - is education. And, although there are many worthwhile prevention programs, none has successfully touched more young people in America than D.A.R.E. Because of the dedication of the people of D.A.R.E. America, who are never satisfied with the status quo - D.A.R.E. is simply light years ahead of any other drug prevention program - and it is getting better and better every day, one child at a time. |
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