DARE drug program could be dropped without proof of effectiveness

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Drug abuse prevention programs such as DARE could be on their way out of Alabama classrooms if they can't prove that they are effective, drug treatment experts said.

Federal, state and local governments have poured millions of dollars over the last decade into Drug Abuse Resistance Education, or DARE, a program that puts police into elementary school classrooms to encourage students not to use drugs.

But federal and state spending on DARE - whose license tags reading "DARE to keep kids off drugs" often are seen on police and parents' vehicles - already is on the way out, said Kent Hunt, associate commissioner for substance abuse at the Alabama Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation.

"I see a movement away from that unless DARE can modify their curriculum and get a stamp of approval as an evidence-based or science-based program, and it's not there yet," Hunt said at a Friday meeting organized by the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Numerous Alabama school systems still use DARE, even though the federal government has advised systems to drop the program.

The No Child Left Behind Act requires states to spend money only on programs that can prove their effectiveness. DARE is revising its curriculum but still has not received federal approval, said Kris Vilamaa, program manager for law enforcement and traffic safety at the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs.

Judge Karen Freeman Wilson, executive director of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, attended the meeting and suggested courts emphasizing rehabilitation for drug offenders, rather than prison time, could help more people. There are 11 such drug courts in Alabama.

"The utopia is for us to infuse the drug court philosophy and the way of doing business into the criminal justice system," Freeman Wilson said.

Family court judges from Huntsville and Birmingham said the state has too few alternatives to prison. They said they are forced to send children to faraway programs or lock them in juvenile jails because there are not enough local treatment options.

"We're forcing our state juvenile justice system to deal with a problem they shouldn't have to deal with," said Randy Johnson, deputy court administrator for Jefferson County Family Court.

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DARE drug program could be dropped without proof of effectiveness

Associated Press

Information from: The Birmingham News

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Drug officials: DARE wastes money

Alabama's drug abuse prevention policy should shift away from funding unproven programs like DARE and add local treatment and counseling options for youth and families.

That was the view expressed at a meeting of family court officials, drug treatment experts and youth advocates Friday

"If the point is we use evidence-based programs, and the evidence shows that DARE doesn't work, why are we spending money on DARE?" asked John Sloan, chair of UAB's Justices Sciences Program.

Over the last decade, millions of dollars in federal, state and local funds have poured into Drug Abuse Resistance Education, DARE, a program that puts police into elementary school classrooms to try to influence children not to use drugs.

Federal and state spending on DARE is on the way out, said Kent Hunt, associate commissioner for substance abuse at the Alabama Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation.

"I see a movement away from that unless DARE can modify their curriculum and get a stamp of approval as an evidence-based or science-based program, and it's not there yet," Hunt said.

The discussion arose at an event organized by University of Alabama at Birmingham's Treatment Alternatives to Street Crimes program. Dr. Andrea Barthwell, a deputy director at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, and Judge Karen Freeman Wilson, executive director of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, were special guests, offering a national perspective on drug treatment issues.

Freeman Wilson said broader use of drug courts could be a way to help more people. Drug courts emphasize rehabilitation over prison for drug offenders. There are 11 drug courts in Alabama.

"The utopia is for us to infuse the drug court philosophy and the way of doing business into the criminal justice system," FreemanWilson said.

Not enough alternative services are available in Alabama.

Family Court judges from Huntsville and Birmingham said they are forced to send children to far-away programs or lock them in juvenile jails run by the Department of Youth Services because there are not enough local treatment options.

"We're forcing our state juvenile justice system to deal with a problem they shouldn't have to deal with," said Randy Johnson, deputy court administrator for Jefferson County Family Court, referring to drug-addicted youth.

Madison County Family Court Judge Lynn Sherrod said she must send some children to Tennessee, away from their parents, for drug treatment. "We have zero, zip, zilch," she said.

Officials also discussed expanding drug courts to include treatment for families, and children with mental health problems. States need a holistic approach to dealing with these families, officials said.

Meanwhile, government funding for DARE continues to drop, although numerous Alabama school systems still use the program.

"We have gotten guidance from the federal government that we should not be funding DARE," said Kris Vilamaa, program manager for law enforcement and traffic safety at ADECA.

The No Child Left Behind Act requires states to spend money only on programs that have been proved by rigorous research to be effective, he said. DARE is in the process of revising its curriculum, but it has not been given the federal stamp of approval yet, Vilamaa said.

Numerous metro area school systems, including Birmingham and Jefferson County, continue to use DARE.

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Department received a $25,000 grant to help fund eight school resource officers who teach the program in 27 schools, said Capt. Jennifer Kimble.

Birmingham Police employ six officers who teach DARE, and the Birmingham City Schools spent $28,000 on DARE T-shirts and graduation ceremonies, money from a state grant, said spokeswoman Michaelle Chapman.

No one from ADECA or the Alabama Department of Education on Friday could provide recent figures for statewide spending on DARE.

Sloan at UAB said he's seen estimates ranging from $200,000 to $500,000 a year. "Let's take that $250,000 and maybe buy our kids textbooks," he said.

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Numerous Alabama school systems still use DARE, even though the federal government has advised systems to drop the program.

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I can't believe my eyes

Wait, now that I think about it, the Feds probably want DARE to fail, so they can push mandatory drug-testing ...

But dare is in elementary schools. I highly doubt they're gonna be pisstesting elementary kids. But I guess they could use it as an excuse. Its all fucked up tho anyways

DARE is not in just elementary school. I went through DARE. DARE was bullshit. I graduated, and still smoked pot. I remember out instructor, Deputy Randy. He told us crazy stories...like once, this guy tried pot for the first time, and his heart exploded.



Oh, yeah...and Alabama's in proration, there's no money for public schools as is.

^ thats pretty crazy .....

yea, if they took all the money tied up in the 'ever so fucking effective' dare program and used it in the higher education no child left behind or whatever it is thing, the school system would be a lot better off... i mean seriously, who the hell are these people kidding??? dare is a crock of shit.... its pointless, doesnt work, is expensive, and a waste of everyones damn time.... and it turns out urine type drug tests arent allowed towards minors unless a child *under 18* is involved in extra curricular activities, and even then they need parental consent, to which the parent has to be present at the time of testing..... see, i think people are finding out, they cant win... people are going to keep getting high and whether its illegal or not, theyre just wasting their time and money, as well as our time by trying..... this bluelight thing and others like it are probably the BEST thing for people... harm reduction... like i said, people are going to keep getting high until the end of time, its reducing the harm done and deaths and such that people need to focus on.... at least i think so