THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, November 15, 1994 TAG: 9411150017
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Short : 41 lines
D.A.R.E., an acronym for Drug Abuse Resistance Education, is one of the most popular anti-drug efforts in the nation. Taught by specially trained police officers to fifth- and sixth-grade students in 17 weekly 45-to-60-minute sessions, the $750 million program funded heavily by the federal government has gotten plenty of publicity. But does it work?
The short answer is no, according to a special study of the program commissioned by the Justice Department. The three-year study concluded that D.A.R.E.'s core curriculum is statistically insignificant in preventing drug abuse among its target audience. ``Unless there's some sort of booster session that reinforces the original curriculum, the effects of most drug use prevention programs decay rather than increase with time,'' says one of the researchers who worked on the study.
The Justice Department, however, has refused to accept the findings, saying that fifth- and sixth-graders was the wrong age group to study. Research Triangle Institute of Durham, N.C., however, which did the study, stands by its conclusions, pointing out that that age group is targeted by D.A.R.E. itself.
Some parents' groups have had their doubts about D.A.R.E., questioning its methodology and saying it is redolent of the touchy-feely pop psychology of the 1970s. Others have questioned whether D.A.R.E. is the best use of time for highly paid and expensively trained police personnel.
The RTI study certainly demonstrates that D.A.R.E. is no magic bullet that will slay the drug-abuse dragon. No program, no matter how well-designed or -funded, is going to substitute for strong parents instilling the right values in vulnerable kids. by CNB