On September 9, 2010 Reentry Central published an article concerning how the D.A.R.E. program in Detroit was in jeopardy due to being discontinued by many schools. Now, the fourth largest school district in Minnesota has abolished the program, and another school dropped it in order to “test its effectiveness”, according to TwinCities.com.
The Minnesota Education Department’s Student Surveys showed that between 2004 and 2007 drug and alcohol use increased among students in the Minneapolis - St. Paul area in the sixth, ninth, and twelfth grade. The Metro area eliminated the D.A.R.E. program several years ago, but opponents of the program say that had nothing to do with the increase in drug and alcohol use among area students. According to University of Illinois-Chicago professor Dennis Rosenbaum, over 30 studies report that the core D.A.R.E. program doesn’t stop drug use in the short-term, or thwart drug use when students enter high school or college.
The Rosemont-Apple Valley-Eagan school district removed D.AR.E. from 18 schools, at a savings of $50,000 a year. Although money is one of the reasons the program is being dropped, other issues are also considered. Classrooms are now available for school subjects, and police officers who taught the D.A.R.E. program are now back on the streets, where they are needed.
But D.A.R.E. is not ready to pack it in. The program is reinventing itself to include other relevant topics in its curriculum. Geek Squad techs teach kids about online dangers, and advice about dealing with bullying is offered. Instead of relying only on police officers, non-law enforcement teachers are being used. Still, the world has changed dramatically since 1983, when D.A.R.E. was founded. The future isn’t promising for this once heralded program. Telling children to “just say no” is not a very realistic solution to an enormous problem. But it is hoped that the program will evolve with the times.
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