DARE PROGRAM HAS ITS POSITIVE SIDE

The nation's DARE program has come under fire. There are questions about whether it is accomplishing what it should: convincing young people not to use alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs.

Criticism of DARE, which stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education, is based on national studies that have concluded the curriculum has little or no lasting effect. There is cause for concern, considering one unrelated study recently found that more young people than ever are using drugs, including alcohol and tobacco. That despite an array of awareness programs.

DARE is a 14-year-old program that targets fifth- and sixth-graders. The 17-week program features law enforcement officers in the classroom using a strict curriculum to provide information about drugs. The police officers also present strategies to help students resist peer pressure to use drugs.

Criticisms of the program include that it costs too much based on its effectiveness, that law enforcement officers aren't qualified to teach the curriculum and that children are being psychologically indoctrinated when they should be deciding themselves whether they want to be involved in a program like DARE. There also have been complaints that the program encourages children to tell police about people who abuse drugs, including family members.

DARE is unique in that many of the 11- and 12-year-olds in the program are exposed for the first time to a real-life, uniformed police officer. The encounter takes place on the students' turf -- in the classroom. And youngsters find that policemen, like their teachers, are friendly people interested in their well-being. For other children, it might be the first time they have dealings with a policeman in a positive manner.

No local study of DARE'S effects has been made, and there is no evidence that the DARE program is ineffective on young people across Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois. Until such evidence surfaces -- and if it ever does -- there should be no concern that the program in local school systems is ineffective.

If drug use is on the rise among young people, programs like DARE shouldn't have to take the blame. Children learn responsible decision-making, including choices concerning alcohol and drugs, both at school and in the home.

Learning to make the right decisions concerning alcohol and drugs starts with awareness, and that is what DARE concentrates on. Until someone comes up with a better program, let DARE do its job.