DARE program will continue

The Indiana Drug Abuse Resistance Education program will continue to educate students about drug awareness, despite studies indicating the program is ineffective.\nIn 1998, the University of Illinois at Chicago did a study that found DARE had no effect on students' drug use when they reached high school. In 1999, a University of Kentucky study found that DARE had no effect on student's drug use 10 years after completing the program. According to the Chicago Tribune, just last month a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study concluded that DARE was ineffective, and "not a very good use of taxpayer money."\n"In order to fund programs like DARE, they must be research-based," said Matt Hassel, chief of police in Marshall County. Hassel was the president of DARE in 1993 and has been teaching DARE for 13 years. "(Robert Wood Johnson) researched the new DARE program, and in fact, it was proven that it helps students."\nThe Illinois program has run into such problems as cuts in funding and a decrease in its effectiveness.\nIndiana DARE officers have experienced a few cuts in funding, but not as much as Illinois. In addition to money from town taxpayers and sponsors, the Robert Wood Johnson foundation, based in Camden, New Jersey, has donated $13.5 million to the DARE program. The money will be used to revamp the middle school and high school DARE curriculum. \n"Illinois is dropping the DARE program because of problems in the economy," said DARE instructor and past president of DARE Lewis Corya, "not because of problems in the DARE program."\nCorya said that in light of layoffs of police officers, DARE officers have been pulled only to stabilize their police force, not because the program is in trouble. \n"(The government) is searching for a scapegoat," Corya said. "We're pinching along, but just because of the economy."\nJeffrey Merrill, professor of psychiatry at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, told the Chicago Tribune that he believes DARE will survive because of the officers' loyalty to the program.\n"They bring such excitement and dedication to the program that most local programs have become self-sustaining," Merrill said.\nIn response to the studies that say DARE is no longer an effective program, Corya disagrees. "TV glorifies the use of drugs and alcohol. If (a child's) family life isn't stable, if their parents aren't there to watch over them, this factors into drug and alcohol use. But this program can make kids well-educated about drugs. Kids who have graduated high school have come back and said I've made a difference in their lives because of DARE."\n"The DARE program is very effective," Hassel added. "I feel that the new program will be even better."\nIllinois' DARE programs are funded through the state budget. Indiana's programs receive very little money from state funds, getting the majority of their money through the town DARE is being taught in. In addition, sponsors donate money to the programs.\nAccording to the Chicago Tribune, Governor George Ryan cut $1.5 million in state funding that would normally pay for DARE student workbooks and officer training. The Illinois State Police DARE training center informed police officers that due to the recent cut in funds, they would no longer be able to provide supplies used to teach DARE.