The DARE Program has been around since 1983. For once, I dare the politicians to look at the efficacy of a program rather than the feel-good political vibe it produces. I liken the DARE program to Nancy Regan's "Just Say No" program. Back then, we were told to believe that if you confronted an inner city drug dealer, just saying no would end the drug problems. As a country, we are spending millions of dollars and wasting millions of federal police and local police man hours on feel-good programs. Police are so expensive, their time should not be wasted on programs that have little or no effect. I do not blame individual police officers whose hearts are in the right place. If I was a police officer, I would rather drive around in a tricked-out, DARE police car than a normal police car. Maybe the money spent on DARE programs would be better spent on treatment programs that have a proven success rate.
http://www.dare.com/home/default.asp
Reading this in our book was kinda of shocking too me because I remember how big DARE was in elementary and even middle school for me was. DARE officers would come in regularly to classes especially health class. I do not know if I agree that it doesn't help at all but according to the book the statistics have not changed since its implementation.
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