Pubdate: Thu, 21 Jun 2007
Source: Thousand Oaks Acorn (CA)
Copyright: 2007 J.Bee NP Publishing, Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.toacorn.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3872
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07/n703/a01.html?63387
Author: Christopher Page
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.)

GOOD RIDDANCE TO DARE PROGRAM

The June 7 Thousand Oaks Acorn editorial said thanks to Thousand Oaks 
for keeping DARE as long as it could.

While the editorial correctly identified DARE's problematic record, 
it made a concluding assertion that is factually incorrect: "While 
DARE wasn't a panacea, the city deserves credit for keeping it alive 
when no other program was available" (italics mine).

Actually there are other, proven effective programs such as Safety 
First (www.safety1st.org), which is a "reality based" approach using 
science and peerreviewed current thinking regarding drugs, kids and 
public policy.

DARE was an abysmal program with more than 18 different scientific 
peer-reviewed studies showing its ineffectiveness and its flawed ideology.

Its puzzling support was largely ideological in spite of the facts 
arrayed against it.

I'm relieved DARE is gone.

As a parent, I would much prefer Safety First as an eventual 
higher-effectiveness, lower cost replacement.

Thank you, Thousand Oaks, for ending a bad program.

Christopher Page

Thousand Oaks
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman