LOCAL HEROES: POLICE DEPARTMENT TO DROP DARE

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AP - Suffolk County's police department is dropping DARE, the widespread
school anti-drug program that has faced questions about its
effectiveness, the police commissioner said. Commissioner Richard Dormer
said he aimed to replace DARE with another drug-prevention program. . .
After nearly 20 years in Suffolk County, DARE isn't working, Dormer told
local lawmakers. The program's 26 police officers teach fifth- and
seventh-graders about the dangers of drugs, spending an hour a week in a
given classroom for 10 weeks. Students "are tuning us out, and that's
why we haven't reduced drug use in our society," Dormer told the County
Legislature's Public Safety Committee. Instead of DARE, Dormer wants to
add police participation to HealthSmart, a general health and safety
program now taught in various school districts. He plans to assign 10 of
the current DARE officers to the new program.

A 2003 U.S. Government Accountability Office analysis of several studies
concluded DARE had "no statistically significant long-term effect on
preventing illicit drug use."

http://wcbstv.com/local/suffolk.dropping.dare.2.599367.html

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