HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0418.000 1996-1998 4oJMtY Os M
~ . , ; Wayne G. Carvalho
Polire Chief
Stephen K. Yamashiro
Mayer ,
• James S. Correa
'~a~ya~.N~.N~ Deputy Police Chief
(i~u>xnt~r n~ ~ttfvttii ~
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POLICE DEPARTMENT c:. ; r
399 Kapiolani Street Hilo, Hawaii 96720-3998 !
(808)935-3377 Fax (808)961-2702
July 28, 1997 c"
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CJ..~
TO JAMES Y. ARAKAKI, CHAIRMAN, AND MEMBERS OF THE HAWAII
~C/O.UNTY COUNCIL
i~h?L^
FROM W7~ G. CARVALHO, POLICE CHIEF
SUBJECT: D.A.R. E. LITERATURE
Please find enclosed D.A.R.E. Summer 1997/22nd Edition
newsletter and article entitled, "In Defense of the Children"
for your review. I'm sure you will find this very interesting
and informative reading.
Thank you for your attention in this matter.
lli
Encls.
cc: Mayor Stephen Yamashiro w/ ends.
Com,n. trio _._LL_fL--
sup s o ~ss~
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. TO RESIST DRUGS
AND VIOLENCE
Editor -Ron Glover/Los Angeles Police Department Summer 1997/22nd Edition
~~EJ~1 C AFL' ~ A
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~~~~s
The emphasis on marijuana in this issue of7he Newsletter has been necessitated by the passage ofinedical marijuana
initiatives in California and Arizona. With these successes under their belts, drug /egalizers will no doubt take aim
at passing simi'ar measures in other states. At the local level, you, the D.A.R.E. officer, may be the only voice which
can counter the claims ofinedical marijuana advocates. It is imperative thatyou become thoroughly familiar xith
the issues involved. We hope that this information will assist you in our continuing struggle against drug abuse.
With the passage of medical marijuana initiatives in examination. In addition, the pro-marijuana lobby has
CalifomiaandArizona(Proposition215 andProposition found a powerful ally in the mainstream media. Those
200, respectively), in the media seem all too
proponents ofmarijuana willing to accept as fact
and drug legalization Having been unable to achieve their
the pronouncements of
have introduced the objectiveofmarijuanalegalizationthrough "drug experts" from
battle to legitimize the normal legislative action and court organizations promoting
use of marijuana and proceedings, drug legaliZatlon advocates drug legalization and
other currently illicit are now attempting to win the day by marijuana as medicine
drugs into a new arena. statewide initiative. like the National
Organisation for the
Having been essentially Reform of Marijuana
unable to achieve their objective of marijuana Laws(NORML),theAllianceforCannabisTherapeutics
legalization through normal legislative action and (ACT) and the Drug Policy Foundation. Meanwhile,
through court proceedings, drug legalization advocates opponents of medical marijuana are often characterized
are now attempting towinthedaybystatewideinitiative. as unfeelinganduncaringindividualsintentonfurthering
On this new playing Yield, the arguments for medical apolitical agenda to the detriment of those with serious
marijuana are subjected to much less rigorous critical illnesses.
NORML vs The DEA ignored the testimony ofhigh]y credible and recognized
medical experts and, instead, relied on the testimony of
The definitive critical analysis ofthe arguments for and psychiatrists and individuals who use marijuana. The
against the medical use of marijuana can be found in the administrative law judge relied heavily on anecdotal
1989 ruling of the Drug Enforcement Administration accounts of marijuana use by both physicians and
(DEA) denying NORML's petition to reschedule seriously ill persons. The administrative law judge's
marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule II of the findings of fact ignored any evidence presented by the
Controlled Substances Act. Schedule I drugs have a Government."
high potential for abuse and no currently accepted
medical use in the United States. Schedule I includes Following publication of the DEA Administrator's
decision, NORML filed suit in federal court in an
To minimize risk to the patient, it is essential attempt to enforce Judge Young's recommendation that
that proponents of medical marijuana marijuana be rescheduled. The U.S. Court of Appeals,
establish scientifically the effectiveness of however, found in favor of the DEA Administrator and
marijuana in treating specific illnesses and marijuana remains a Schedule I drug.
demonstrate its safety under medical Marijuana As Medicine
supervision.
Marijuana contains more than 400 chemical compounds
such drugs as heroin, peyote, mescaline, marijuana and which when smoked are transformed into some 2000
LSD. Schedule II drugs also have a high potential for compounds, including proven carcinogens and toxins
abuse but have unique therapeutic properties and may such as benzene and toluene. In addition, the chemical
be dispensed by a physician. Opium and morphine are makeup of marijuana shows extreme variability from
examplesofScheduleIIdrugs. The DEA Administrator's crop to crop, and even from plant to plant, depending
ruling is contained in the Federal Register, Volume 54, upon method of cultivation, growing conditions and
No. 249, December 29, 1989. even time of harvest. This makes it almost impossible
to control the potency and dosage of marijuana in
The proceedings were initiated byNORMLin 1972 with medical use. The interaction of the compounds in the
a petition that marijuana be removed from the Controlled plant is also ofconcem. To minimize risk to the patient,
Substances Act (legalized) or, alternatively, be it is essential that proponents of medical marijuana
rescheduled. After a series of legal actions which establish scientifically the effectiveness of marijuana in
stretched over more than a decade and a half, the entire treating specific illnesses and demonstrate its safety
matter resulted in a rescheduling hearing before under medical supervision.
Administrative Law Judge Francis L. Young beginning
in early 1988. On December 9, 1988, Judge Young In SupportofMedicalMarijuana: Thepro-marijuana
forwarded the entire record of proceedings, including case dealt primarily with the use of marijuana as an
his findings and recommendations, tothe Administrator antiemetic to relieve nausea and vomiting associated
of the DEA. with cancerchemotherapy, as a treatment for glaucoma,
and to relieve spasticity in amputees and multiple
After reviewing the record, the Administrator of the sclerosis (MS) patients. The case relied heavily on
DEA set aside Judge Young's recommendation that testimonials of psychiatrists, attorneys and patients,
marijuana be rescheduled from Schedule 1 to Schedule their family and friends regarding the use of marijuana
II of the Controlled Substances Act. In setting aside to relieve their medical condition. "Many of these
Judge Young's recommendation, the Administrator individuals had been recreational users of marijuana
wrote: prior to becoming ill. These individuals' desire for the
drug to relieve their symptoms, as well as a desire to
"The Administrator finds that the administrative law rationalize their marijuana use, removes any scientific
judge failed to act as an impartial judge in this matter. value from their accounts of marijuana use," observed
He appears to have ignored the scientific evidence, the DEA Administrator in evaluating the largely
"Ther° is no evidence thue marijuana is conducted whict. ,oake such conclusions."
effective in treating nausea and vomiting Dr. Richard J. Gralla, Professor of Medicine at Cornell
resulting from radiation treatment or other University Medical College and Associate Attending
causes. No legitimate studies have been Physician at Sloan-Kettering Memorial Cancer Center
conducted which make such conclusions. " has conducted extensive research with antiemetic drugs.
He testified that there are currently many new medicines
anecdotal evidence presented. [n addition, it was found that control nausea and vomiting more effectively than
that many of the "experts" who testified on behalf of marijuana. Dr. John Laszlo, who, prior to becoming
medical marijuana had ties to NORML or ACT and Vice President of Research for the American Cancer
favored the legalization of marijuana. Society, spent 11 years as the Director of Clinical
Studies ostensibly submitted in support of medical ,,.long-term treatment of MS patients with
marijuana were of small size, loosely controlled and marijuana could be worse than the original
relied mainly upon the test subjects'subjective evaluation
ofmarijuana's effectiveness rather than on any scientific disease given the drug's serious side effects.
measure of effect. As the DEA Administrator pointed
out, this is certainly problematical when "the drug in ProgramsattheDukeUniversityComprehensiveCancer
question is a psychotropic or mind-altering substance Center, testified that he does not advocate the use of
like marijuana. which by its very nature makes some marijuana as an antiemetic, in part because there has not
individuals feel 'high,' and may distort perception of been sufficient research to show that marijuana is safe
physical symptoms." and effective.
In addition, many of these studies dealt with THC Dr. George Spaeth, Directorofthe Glaucoma Service at
(Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol), the primary Will's Eye Hospital in Philadelphia and then-President
psychoactive substance in marijuana which has already of the American Glaucoma Society, testified that there
been synthetically formulated and approved for reliefof is insufficient scientific evidence to support marijuana's
certain symptoms and illnesses, rather than marijuana use in the treatmentofglaucoma. Dr. Donald5ilverberg.
plant material. The DEA Administratorobserved."Since Chairman of the Department of Neurology at the
THC is only one of the many active ingredients in University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and
marijuana, THC studies are of very limited value in Chief of Neurology Service at the Hospital of
evaluating the therapeutic utility of marijuana." lnfact, Pennsylvania,concludedthatnotonlyisthereinsufticient
the only well controlled study submitted compared the evidence to supportmarijuana'seffectiveness entreating
effectiveness of THC with marijuana as an antiemetic MS and spasticity, but that long-term treatment of MS
and concluded that THC was superior to marijuana in patients with marijuana could be worse than the original
relieving nausea and vomiting caused by cancer disease given the drug's serious side effects.
chemotherapy.
Policy statements ofprominent medical groups such as
In Opposition To Medical Marijuana: The case the American Cancer Society, the American Academy
opposing the rescheduling of marijuana featured the of Ophthalmology, the National Multiple Sclerosis
testimonyofnationallyrecognizedandrespecteddoctors SocietyandtheAmericanMedica(Associationregarding
specializing in the specific diseases and disciplines for the acceptance of marijuana as medicine were also
which marijuana is touted as medicine. Dr. David S. presented. For example, the policy statement of the
Ettinger. Professor of Oncology at the Johns Hopkins American Cancer Society regarding the medical use of
University School of Medicine, who has authored more marijuana supports continued research with substances
than 100 articles on cancer treatment, testified: "There which may provide relief to cancer patients, including
is no evidence that marijuana is effective in treating marijuana. However, it states that the results of clinical
nausea and vomiting resulting from radiation treatment investigations are insufficient to warrant the decontrol
or other causes. No legitimate srudies have been of marijuana for medical use. Policy statements from
(continued on page
3
Medical Marijuana (continued from page 3) people with AIuS. A 1994 study conducted by
researchers at the University of :Nevada School of
theothergroups listedexpresssimilaropinionsregarding Medicine in Reno concluded that AIDS patients on ddI
the insufficiency of evidence in support of marijuana as monotherapy, one of the standard treatment regimens
medicine. for AIDS, should restrict their alcohol and marijuana
usage to avoid increased chances of developing acute
Medical Marijuana Update pancreatitis. Finally, a 1995 study presented at the 3rd
International Conference on AIDS in Asia and the
The research record on medical marijuana has remained Pacific and the 5th National AIDS Seminar in Thailand
essentially unchanged since 1989 when the DEA warned that marijuana appears to negatively affect the
Administrator denied NORML's petition to reschedule immune function in HIV infected individuals.
marijuana. Nevertheless, proponents of medical
Otherwell known medical experts have issued statements
"My guiding principle in caringforapatient in opposition to the medical use of marijuana. Dr.
is that any medication that I use must be the Daniel Brookoff, Oncologist and Assistant Professor of
best available treatment for that particular Medicine at the University of Tennessee, with special
expertise in the distinction between proper and improper
situation. Because ofthis, marijuana cannot use of controlled medications has said: "My guiding
be considered medication. " principle in caring for a patient is that any medication
that I use must be the best available treatment for that
marijuana have engaged in a tireless propaganda particular situation. Because ofthis, marijuana cannot
campaign designed to gain the American public's be considered a medication."
acceptance of medical marijuana.
And William T. Shults, M.D., recognized in the
The wasting syndrome caused by AIDS is one of the publication The Best DoctorslnAmericaforhisworkin
latest in the list of maladies for which marijuana is ophthalmology at the Devers Eye Institute in Portland,
supposed to be effective. However, A. Sonia Buist, Oregon, states: "I can see no compelling reason
Professor of Medicine, Head, Pulmonary and Critical whatsoever for the use of marijuana by patients with
Care Medicine at the Oregon Health Sciences University glaucoma, and believe that to propose such a use works
states: "I seeabsolutelynoplaceformarijuanauseinthe a cruel hoax on the public and especially those with a
treatment of medical conditions at this time....my most chronic ocular disease for which many other better
frequent contact is with patients with AIDS. I cannot treatments are currently available."
support the use of marijuana to treat patients with this
condition. Furthennore, I would maintain that its use is The Medical Marijuana Initiatives
contraindicated because marijuana is extremely imitating
to the airways and may add additional pulmonary Despite the fact that no new breakthroughs in medical
problems in these very susceptible individuals. marijuana research have been forthcoming to bolster
Marijuana is even more irritating to the airways than their position, proponents of medical marijuana took
tobacco smoke and leads to severe inflammation, mucus their case to the voters of Califomia and Arizona last
secretion and bronchitis." November. Proposition 215 in California won by a 56
to 44 percent vote margin and Proposition 200 in Arizona
Professor Buist's statement is backed up by three was approved by 65 percent of the voters.
relatively recent studies of the effects of marijuana
specifically on AIDS sufferers. A 1993 study conducted Opponents of marijuana as medicine say that the whole
at theJohns Hopkins School ofPublic Health inBaltimore medical marijuana debate is just a red herring designed
found that smoking marijuana or crack cocaine is bydrnglegalizerstopromotelegalizedmarijuana. They
significantly associated with an increase in the risk of point to statements of initiative supporters like Dennis
bacterial pneumonia in people infected with HIV and Peron, founder of the San Francisco Cannabis Buyers
pointed out that pneumonia is a major cause of death in Club and one of the leading advocates of Proposition
8
215, who has said of marijuana th• "all use is medical." "We should a ,ourselves whether we real! v
A 1996 Drug Watch [nternationa. white paper quotes -
RichardCowan, formerdirectorofNORMLandmember want Cheech and Chong logic to guide our
of the Drug Policy Foundation Board of Advisors, at an thinking about medicine. "
April 1993 conference in San Francisco celebrating the
50th anniversary of the discovery of LSD: "...medical on use of marijuana as medicine, requiring a written
marijuana is...our strongest suit. It is our point of prescription from two licensed physicians and limiting
leverage which will move us toward the legalization of availability to victims ofonly the most serious illnesses,
marijuana for personal use. The key is medical access. it opens the door to medical use of all Schedule [drugs
Because once you have hundreds ofthousands ofpeople including heroin, methamphetamines, peyote and LSD.
using marijuana medically under medical supervision,
the whole scam is going to be bought." Many addiction treatment and prevention advocates say
that passage of the California and Arizona initiatives
The California initiative is so loosely written that it have already done considerable damage to their cause.
lends great credence to the claims of opponents that Surveys show that social acceptance of a drug and
drug legalizers are using desperately ill people as pawns perceptions of harmlessness lead to increased drug use.
to promote legalized marijuana. The initiative only According to Steve Dnistrian, senior vice president of
requires a "doctor's recommendation" for marijuana use the Partnership for aDrug-Free America, "...this puts a
by patients with AIDS, cancer, glaucoma "or any other positive spin on marijuana use. The message to kids is
illness for which marijuana provides relief." There are marijuana is not only not harmful, it may be good for
no age restrictions on medical marijuana use. Says Tom you--it's medicine."
Gorman, a spokesman for the California Narcotics
Proceed With Caution
"The message to kids is marijuana is not only
not harmful, it may be good for you--it's The addictive qualities and negative side effects of
currently illegal drugs make extreme caution imperative
medicine. " when these are being advocated as medicine. The safety
and efficacy of such drugs should be firmly and
Officers Association, in theNovemberll,1996issueof scientifically establishedpriortotheiruseinthetreatment
Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Week, "All you need is a of any medical condition. The position of medical
quack doctorto say marijuana will do you good, and you experts specializing in the medical conditions for which
are allowed to cultivate and possess marijuana. You a drug is touted must be carefully considered and should
would have to be really dumb not to be able to establish carry substantial weight.
a defense for yourself."
Marijuana should be no exception. Proponents have
There is evidence that many California voters were not clearly not met their burden of proof regarding the
fully aware of what they were voting for. Keeping the medical utility of marijuana. Though advocates claim
facts obscured during the campaign was the intent of that marijuana is a mild drug which is much less harmful
drug legalization advocates according to Gorman. The than alcohol or tobacco, the current research record on
Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia its physical and psychological effects (see page I l )
University (CASA) conducted apre-election survey of should serve as a warning to those who would rush to
California voters and found substantial support for embrace marijuana as medicine.
Proposition215. ButCASAspokeswomanAlyseBooth
said, "When we asked voters if they would approve use Even supporters of medical marijuana admit that there
of marijuana without prescription for just about any is a paucity ofwell controlled, scientific clinical trials of
illness, they said'no' overwhelmingly." This, however, marijuana. But this does not faze Lester Grinspoon,
is just what Propositon 215 allows. M.D., a psychiatrist who has served on the board of both
NORML and the Drug Policy Foundation, and who is a
While Arizona's Proposition 200imposestightercontrols leading advocate of both medical marijuana and
9
`marijuana legalization. Grin. on correctly points out, we really w Cheech and Chong logic to guide our
"Tosaythatanecdotalevidencedoesn'tcountisabsurd." thinking about medicine:"
However, when anecdotal evidence is not backed up by
hard, scientific research, it must be viewed with extreme For anvone interested in the full tear of the 1989 DFA
skepticism. Admanistrator's decision regarding the rescheduling of
marijuana, the decision is added as an Appendix to the /fifth
Says Director BarryMcCaffreyoftheOfficeofNational (1990) edition of Gabriel G. Nahas' book Keep Off the
Drug Control Policy, "We should ask ourselves whether Grass, which should be available through your local librun.
WHU'S PUSHING "MEDICAL MARIJUANA?"
Make no mistake about it, medical marijuana is being MultidisciplinaryAssociationforPsychedelicStudies
promoted by pro-drug lobbyists, not medical (MAPS): Also known as The Peoples Psychedelic
organizationsordoctorsspecializinginthemaladiesfor Pharmaceutical Company, it supports the use of
which marijuana is being advocated as medicine. psychedelic drugs such as MDMA (Ecstasy) and LSD
for medical and recreational purposes.
The major financial backers of California's Proposition
215 were international financier and billionaire George Marijuana Policy Project (MPP): This is a full-time,
Soros, Men'sWearhouseCEOGeorgeZimmer,insurance pro-drug legalization lobby working to influence
businessownerPeterLewisandLauranceD.Rockefeller. lawmakers. It was incorporated on June 25, 1995 by
Other big contributors and supporters included Chicago Robert D. Kampia and Chuck Thomas, and was the
commodities broker Richard Dennis, Phoenix brainchild of Eric Sterling.
entrepreneur Dr. John Sperling, former Secretary of
State George Shultz, Milton Friedman, Gail Zappa, wife Drug Abuse Council (DAC): A pro-drug organization
of the late Frank Zappa, and former U.S. Senator Alan closely aligned with NORML during the 1970s. DAC
Cranston. Many of these individuals also actively was founded in 1971 through a grant from the Ford
supported the Arizona initiative. Foundation. Mathea Falco, currently president of the
Drug Strategies Institute, is a formerDAC Board member
The followinggroupsandindividualsarecentralplayers and was also a member ofNORML's Advisory Board.
in the effort to medicalizeand/or legalize marijuana and The Drug Strategies Institute recently published a study
other drugs. Promoting themselves as "drug policy of drug abuse prevention programs that downgraded
experts," they eagerly provide information to policy D.A.R.E.
makers and the media. Their pro-drug agenda is rarely
mentioned in articles in which they are quoted. Some of Alliance for Cannabis Therapeutics (ACT): This
these individuals have been critical of the D.A.R.E. small group lobbies for marijuana as medicine. Its only
program and have been quoted in anti-D.A.R.E. news visible member is Robert Randall.
stories, without reference to their association with the
drug legalization lobby, of course. Certainly their pro- American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): The ACLU
drug stance would bring into question the motives of supports legalization or decriminalization of marijuana
these individuals in slamming D.A.R.E. and other drugs. Its Executive Director, Ira Glasser, is
on the DPF Board.
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana
Laws (NORML): Founded in 1970, this is the national Act Up: A militant gay rights group led by Dana Beal.
lobbying organization for marijuana legalization. Its While Act Up does not support legalization, it does
members minimize the harmfulness of marijuana and actively support "marijuana for medicine."
seek to counter scientific evidence to the contrary,
usually with anecdotal information. NORML actively Drug Reform Coordination Network (DRCNet): An
recruits on college campuses. international alliance of drug culture groups and
individuals working together for drug legalization
Drug Policy Foundation (DPF): A wealthy, through thelnternet. DRCNetmobilizesdrngadvocates
international pro-drug lobby founded in 1986 and toinfluencelawmakers. Members includeDPF,NORML
headquartered in Washington, D.C., DPF's mission is and MPP. The DPF houses the DRCNet.
the legalization of drugs. Through extensive use of
press releases and the Internet, DPF seeks to influence The Cato Institute: A libertarian think tank that
the media. It has sponsored special forums on various supports drug legalization. Its vice president, David
drug policy issues for legislators and staff. Boaz, serves on NORML's Board.
6
- Ramsey Clark: Former Unite' Mates AttorneyGeneral drug organiz: ~n which receives millions of dollars in
who gave NORML its name ~.rd sat on its Advisory support from „,tlionaire George Soros. Nadelmann is
Board. one of the foremost advocates for drug legalization and
is frequently quoted in articles dealing with drug issues.
Richard Cowan: Former director of NORML and a Nadelmannwasrecentlyquotedinanewsarticlecritical
memberoftheDPFBoardofAdvisors.In1992,Cowan of theD.A.R.E.program.
issued a call to use the medical marijuana model to
spearhead a strategy for the legalization of marijuana. Wesley C. Pomeroy, Patrick Murphy & Joseph
McNamara: All are former police officials who are on
Richard J. Dennis: Chicago commodities exchange the DPF Board. Together with Ralph Salerno, who is on
millionaire whose $2 million contribution helped the DPF Advisory Board, they are used by DPF to
establish DPF. highlight "police support" for drug legalization.
Peter Gorman & Ed Rosenthal: Senior Editors of Robert Randall: President of ACT and a member of
High Times, the pro-drug magazine for drug users and NORML's Board, Randall began using marijuana in
distributors. college in 1968, four years before being diagnosed with
glaucoma in 1972. Randall now smokes eight to 10
Lester Grinspoon, M.D.: A psychiatrist who has joints a day ostensibly for his glaucoma, but also takes
served on the Board of both NORML and DPF. [n the standard glaucoma medications.
1980 edition of The Comprehensive Textbook of
Psychiatry, Grinspoon states, "Used no more than two Kurt Schmoke: Mayor of Baltimore and an outspoken
or three times a week, cocaine creates no serious advocate of drug legalization, Schmoke is on the DPF
problems." In his book, Marijuana: The Forbidden Board.
Medicine, Grinspoon claims that it is safe to drive while
intoxicated from marijuana. J. Tony Serra: Criminal defense lawyer who was
awarded $10,000 by DPF for his work defending dnrg
Mark Kleiman: A marijuana legalization advocate dealers and users.
who has worked openly on drug issues at the highest
levels of government, even though his views clearly George Soros: Multi-billionaire who has contributed
conflictwiththeofficialstanceofthefederalgovernment. millions of dollars to DPF and an equal amount to other
His company, BOTEC, has been awarded hundreds of pro-drug organizations. Soros has acquired an interest
thousandsofdollarsincontractsbytheU.S.Department in Ronald Perelman's New World Communications
of Justice and the Office of National Drug Control Group, which owns TV stations and production
Policy. companies, just as the DPF is utilizing more entertainment
media to spread pro-drug messages.
John P. Morgan, M.D.: A member of the Advisory
Board of DPF and the Board of NORML who often Arnold Trebach, Lawyer and Ph.D.: President of
testifies as a "medical expert" favoring marijuana DPF,Trebachisanotherdrugadvocatewhoisfrequently
legalization. In the 15th edition of the Merck Manual, quoted as an expert on drug issues. He has also been
a medical reference used extensively by doctors, the critical ofD.A.R.E.inrecen[anti-D.A.R.E.newsarticles.
sectiononmarijuana,writtenbyMorgan,states: "Despite
the acceptance of the 'new' dangers of marijuana, there Phil Walden: Former NORML Board member and
is still little evidence of biologic damage even among currently presidentofCapricornRecords. In September
relatively heavy users...the chiefopposition to the drug 1995, Capricorn Records released the "Hempilation"
rests on a moral and political, and not a toxicologic, CD, a compilation of 17pro-marijuana songs.
foundation."
The foregoing is jusa a partial listing of the pra-drug lobby duu is
promotingmarijuanoasmedicine. The bulkojtheinformutionnzrs
Ethan Nadelmann, JD, Ph.D.: DPF AdvtSOry Board tokenjromaJanuary 1996 white paper distributed by Dru; IG"nrclr
member who heads the Lindesmith Center, another pro- lnrernarionat.
7
"Harmc~ ess" Mari,~~ uana ~
If you were to take a survey ofattitudes regarding drugs been documented, and psychological dependency is
among ordinary people you might meet on the streets of well established in users of the drug. In fact, a recent
your typical American city, chances are that you would government study of the efficacy of drug treatment
not get an argument regarding the very real dangers of programs surveyed a surprisingly high number of
using such drugs as heroin, crack cocaine, LSD, adolescents and adults who said that their main problem
methamphetamine and PCP. However, even among is marijuana dependence.
those who oppose its use and legalization, the number of
those who believe that marijuana is a mild, relatively Learning, Maturation and Psychological Effects
harmlessdmgmightsurpriseyou. Accordingtonational
surveys, since about 1991 there has been a steady For young people, one of the most serious effects of
erosion in theperceptionoftheharmfulnessofmarijuana, marijuana is its negativeimpactonmemoryandleaming.
especially among young people. Not surprisingly, on At a time when preparations for the future should be
the heels ofthis lowered perception of harmfulness, has well underway, many youthful users ofpot find that they
come an increase in marijuana use among our youth. It are unable to perform in school.
is this very perception ofharmlessness, which proponents
of marijuana have worked so hard to foster, that makes An article entitled "Grass Gets an F," which appeared in
marijuana one of the most dangerous illicit drugs in use the January 1989 issue of Current Health 2, reported
today. that in 1986 reseazchers in Virginia followed the school
careers ofmiddle class marijuana smokers. They found
No Worse Than Alcohol? that before daily marijuana use, only one out of 25
students had experienced serious school failure. After
Marijuana advocates are fondofsayingthattheirdrugof regular use, three out of five were failing in school [n
choice is no worse than alcohol or tobacco, the currently addition, more than half were ditching at least one class
legal drugs in American society. This, however, is a a day and almost two-thirds had been suspended.
verypoorargumentinfavorofmarijuanaandtrivializes According to Dr. Sam Deadwyler, professor of
the substantial havoc that alcohol and tobacco have physiology at the Bowman Gray School of Medicine in
wreakeduponourculture. Legalization and widespread Winston-Salem, North Carolina, "Even in low doses,
use of marijuana will do nothing but add to the human [marijuana] negatively affects what we learn and how
suffering and misery already caused by the use of legal we go about learning it." Several more recent studies
drugs in America. confirm that marijuana use produces lasting cognitive
deficits as confirmed by decreased mental flexibility,
Marijuana combines the intoxicating effects of alcohol greater number of test errors and reduced learning.
with all of the health hazards of tobacco and adds a few
twistsofitsown. Alcohol is metabolizedandeliminated Other research indicates that marijuana use not only
from the body in a relatively short time. But the affects the ability to learn but also decreases the
chemicals ingested from smoking one marijuana motivation toleam.Ina1981surveyofmorethan2,000
cigarette may not be purged from the body for a month. Albany, New York high school students, the young
Regular users of marijuana may not be drug free for people reported that in their experience marijuana
three months afrer discontinuing use. Because THC, the impaired their desire to learn, as well as learning ability
primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana smoke, itself. "Lack of motivation and difficulty in learning set
and other cannabinoids are fat soluble, they accumulate the scene for failure," concludes the Current Health
in the fatty tissues ofthe body's major organs, especially article.
in the brain, the lungs and the reproductive organs.
Another serious implication with respect to youthful
Though proponents say that marijuana is not addicting, marijuana use is its impact on the psychooocial
cases of physical addiction among heavy users have development of users. Researchers at the Center for
ll
Psychological Studies in New York City found in a 1987 A study of Kaiser Permanente patients compared those
study that research subjects who smoked marijuana who smoked marijuana almost daily but did not use
daily used the drug to avoid dealing with the difficulties tobacco with non-smokers and found a small but
of life, and that the avoidance inevitably made their significant increase in risk of respiratory-related
problems worse--on the job, at home, and in family and outpatient visits in the marijuana smokers. In addition,
sexual relationships. Yet these drug users believed that the study found that the marijuana smokers had a higher
marijuanawashelpingthemtofunctionbettec,improving risk of non-respiratory and injury-related outpatient
their self-awareness and relationships with others. visits. Marijuana smokers also had an elevated risk of
hospital admission.
According to veteran drug researchers James Inciardi of
the University of Delaware and Duane McBride of Other studies have documented the depressant effect of
Andrews University: marijuana on various components ofthe immune system
in the lungs. One study found "impaired microbicidal
"This research documented what clinicians had been activity ofalveolar macrophages" in marijuana smokers
saying foryears. Personal growth evolves from learning in comparison to smokers of tobacco. (Macrophages
to cope with stress, anxiety, frustration, and the many guard the lungs against infection and foreign matter.)
difficulties that life presents, both small and large. Such studies indicate an increased susceptibility to
Marijuana use (and the use of other drugs as well, infectionandlungdamageinhabitualmarijuanasmokers.
including alcohol), particularly among adolescents and
young adults, interferes with this process, and the result Finally, marijuana use has been associated with cases of
is adrug-induced arrested development." early onset respiratory tract cancers including cancer of
the mouth, tongue and lungs. Researchers at the
Finally, some studies link marijuana use to an increased University of Miami School of Medicine's Sylvester
risk of mental illness. Researchers at Stockholm's Comprehensive Cancer Center have associated
Karolinska lnstitutet recorded the cannabis (marijuana marijuana use with the development of lung cancer in
and hashish) consumption histories of 45,570 Swedish young patients. According to Kasi Sridhar, M.D., a
military drafrees in 1970, then performed afollow-up UniversityofMiamiprofessorofinedicine,"Ifyoulook
study 15 years later. The follow-up revealed that the at the statistics, smoking marijuana is about 100 to 200
men who had used the drug 50 or more times prior to times more likely to cause cancer than tobacco smoke."
entering the service were six times more likely than drug
abstainers to develop schizophrenia in the intervening Dr. Sridhar began recording data after noticing lung
years. Columbia University's Center on Addiction and cancer patients were getting younger. "Half the young
Substance Abuse points out that adolescents who smoke patientsIseewithlungcanceraretobaccoandmarijuana
marijuanaaremorepronetoviolentbehaviorandsuicide. smokers," Sridhar said in the May 24, 1993 issue of
Cancer Researcher Weekly. "The ages are 15 to 20 years
In lightoftheforegoing,onecanonlywonderhowmany earlier than what you would expect. There is clearly a
young people have sacrificed their future on the altar of big gap between the age at which tobacco smokers are
marijuana, wooed by the claims of "harmlessness" diagnosed with cancer and the age when marijuana
propagated in the media by marijuana advocates. smokers aze diagnosed."
Health Effects of Marijuana Effects On The Newborn
Marijuana use has been associated with ill health in a One of the most unfortunate results of marijuana use is
number of studies, independent of tobacco and alcohol its effect on babies born to mothers who smoked
consumption which are typically quite high among marijuana during pregnancy. Maternal marijuana use
marijuana smokers. This should not be surprising since has been associated with newborns of low birth weight
studies show that smoking one marijuana cigarette and small headcircumference,bothindicatorsofpossible
deposits particulate matter in the lungs equivalent to future impairment. In addition, a study ofrisk factors in
four or five regular tobacco cigarettes. children who developed a deadly form of leukemia
12
found an elevenfold increase in ris' the offspring of 1983 commercial z rash atNewark Airport was found
mothers ,who smoked marijuana curing pregnancy. to have smoked marijuana 24 hours before the accident.
No other factor could be associated with a comparable
risk of developing this form of leukemia. Finally, a 1990 National Transportation Safety Board
study of 182 crashes involving large trucks, which
Amore recent study, reported in the February 1995 issue resulted in 210 deaths, found that l3 percent of the
ofArchives ofPediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, found drivers tested positive for marijuana, another 13 percent
that prenatal marijuana use may be associated with were positive for alcohol, nine percent were positive for
sleep disruptions inthree-year olds. The article pointed cocaine, eight percent for over-the-counter stimulants,
out that even brief sleep disruptions interfere with the and seven percent were positive for amphetamines.
restorative nature of sleep and can result in decreased Note that marijuana use among these drivers is as
ability to focus attention as well as emotional and prevalent as alcohol use.
behavioral problems. Chronic sleepproblemscanmimic
ADD and other psychiatric disorders. Marijuana: The Gateway Drug
The Archives of Pediatrics article also remarked on While legalizers dismiss out-of--hand that marijuana
other research: "Among the few well-controlled leads to use of harder drugs like cocaine and heroin,
investigations, prenatal exposure to marijuana has been marijuana's role as a gateway drug may be one of the
associated with impaired visual responsiveness and most serious arguments against it.
increased startles and tremors in newborns; impaired
cognitive function in three-year olds; and deficits in According to Dr. Gabriel G. Nahas, a researcher and
visual-perceptual tasks, language and behavior in pharmacologist at Columbia University's College of
children aged six to nine years." Significant negative Physicians and Surgeons, marijuana users are 66 times
effect on the IQ of three-year olds was also reported. more likely to use cocaine than are non-consumers of
marijuana. The Center on Addiction and Substance
Occupational Hazards of Marijuana Use Abuse points out that adolescents who smoke weed are
85 times more likely to use cocaine than those who do
Regularmarijuanausehasbeenassociatedwithanumber not. Richard R. Clayton, a leading substance abuse
of negative outcomes on thejob. A 1990 study ofU.S. researcher at the UniversiryofKentucky,reportsthatthe
Postal Service new hires found that those who tested risk for a marijuana user to progress to cocaine is l0
positive for marijuana in a preemployment drug test had times greater than the risk of a heavy tobacco smoker to
55 percent more industrial accidents, 85 percent more develop cancer of the lung. Says Clayton, "One of the
injuries and a 78 percent increase in absenteeism over a most consistently replicated findings from the existing
two-year period. literature affirms the central role of marijuana in
predicting use of other drugs."
A Stanford University study recorded impaired motor
skills in aircraft pilots 24 hours after marijuana use. Legalization?
Even though the pilots felt alert and "normal," the study
found that they had difficulty in aligning and landing Dr. Nahas asserts, "...history shows that when illicit
their planes in simulated flight tests. Researchers addictive drugsazesociallyacceptedandeasilyavailable,
concluded, "In actual flight where there is wind and they are widely consumed, and their use is associated
turbulence, such errors can easily lead to crashes." with a high incidence of individual and social damage."
This "day after" effect of marijuana could have tragic Everywhere the use of marijuana has been legalized or
consequences for anyone involved in complicated tasks decriminalized, thesepermissivepolicies have eventually
suchasheavyequipmentoperations,passengertransport and invariably led to increased useofthedrug. In 1975,
or simply driving a motor vehicle. In recent years, the State Supreme Court of Alaska ruled that marijuana
several majorrailaccidentshavebeenlinkedtomarijuana use was legal in the privacyofone'sownhome. By 1982,
use by rail crews responsible. The pilot involved in a marijuana use by adolescent Alaskans was twice the
l3
national average. While the; -.ionalHouseholdSurvey
on Drug Abuse reported that nationally 26.7 percent of Industrial Hemp
youngsters in grades seven through 12 had used
marijuana, a survey within the state ofAlaska, conducted
by the University ofAlaska School ofAddictions, found Industrial hemp is another ploy which is currently being
that 49.5 percent of young Alaskans had used pot. [n used by marijuana advocates and drug legalizers to
1990, Alaskans recriminalized marijuana by statewide promote acceptance of marijuana in American society.
initiative. To hearthe pro-pot lobby tell it, we could solve all ofour
environmental problems-and give the nation's economy
TheNetherlands, that paradigmofpermissivenesswhich a tremendous boost if we would only approve the
in the past was touted as an example of the benefits of agricultural cultivation of hemp for the thousand and
legalized marijuana, hardly inspires confidence in the one uses marijuana proponents say it is good for--e.g..
efficacy of such a policy. From the mid-1980s to the oil, rope, fabric, paper, shoes, clothing, etc., etc., etc.
early 1990s, teenage marijuana use in the United States
declined by two-thirds; in the Netherlands youthful Those who buy this line of reasoning are ignorant of a
marijuana use increased by 250 percent. The number of standard axiom of modem industry as it applies to
drug addicts in the nation has also sharply increased. hemp--that is, if hemp were the best source of any of
The Dutch have now raised the legal age for patrons of these products, it would be cultivated and used. Indus'trv
theirmarijuana "coffee shops" from 15 to 18. Amsterdam now uses many hazardous substances in the production
is in the process ofenacting legislation which will halve of various commodities because these substances are
the number of such establishments in that city. the best source of a particular item or because they are
necessary in the production process itself.
Any policy that relaxes current prohibitions on drug use
in our nation is doomed to failure, both by history and According to the Department of Agriculture, there is
current experience. Marijuana legalization certainly little legal economic incentive to cultivate hemp. Their
promises more for America--more drug use, especially research suggests that linen manufactured from hemp
by our young people; more adolescents unable to reach would cost twice as much as the highest quality flan
their life goals due to impaired learning abilities and linen. Nor is hemp an economically viable source of
lack of motivation; more serious health problems; more paper. The cost of cultivating a ton of raer hemp is
problems in the workplace; more industrial accidents higher than the current value of a ton of finished I
and highway carnage; more mentally impaired kids and newsprint. Agriculture experts project a total U.S.
adults. market for hemp products of $5 to $10 million a year.
which is insignificant in a national agricultural sector
Knowing all ofthis, the legalizers nevertheless continue that generates more than $200 billion annually.
their campaign to gain acceptance of marijuana by the
American public. Just as tobacco company executives Industrial hemp isjust another smoke screen of the drug
have refused to acknowledge the harmful effects of their legalizers. Relaxing the ban on hemp cultivation in the
product in the face of overwhelming research, so, too, United Stateswouldsimplyresultinincreasedmarijuana
have those who advocate legalization of marijuana availability.
refused to be swayed by the truth.
In e .
D fe
nse of th
e Chil
dr
en
Ans?~vering? the 0,,4.IP,f. Critics
It may seem strange or even presumptuous to some to lrn,u ojlu.c house, telLa hrm s~h~,r /uev happened and rhr
entitle an article defending the D.A.R.E. program "In pulrce ore cu!/cd. /Further un~e.c/rgurrorr leudc to the
DeFcnse of the Children." But consider the tisllowing cr,•r.~~t nj cr .cuspcctrd c~rrc~r kd/rr. Ih~ gn•! crc,l;;
incidents: !)._~.K.l:~. wrtlr grvvng lter thr .rkrll.r, slretrgth curt[
dercrmmuhnn to recrs7 her eruuld-he uhdrrc7nr.
1 rrrm-vcur old hov i.c uppruerclrec! rn the restrnom u~u
.tkrnclrester, 7'enne.c.cee nrurket by un older mun who These and similar incidents have been reported across
u.eks the child rfhe likes to he tickled. The mun then the nation and attest to someofthepositiveeffectsofthe
attempts to touch the cl:rklhut flees when the youngster D.A.R.E. program on [he children receiving D.AR.E.
scr¢anrs. "The boy tells authorities that he screamed instruction. WhileD.A.R.E.criticsarewillingtoconcede
hecuuse he hod learned from his U.A. R.F.. officer that D.A. R.E.'s role in averting tragedy in such incidents and
shat i.x an appropriate defensive reaction in this type of that police in the classroom have their place teaching
s(tuatron. "survival skills" to children, the idea that D.A.R.E.
could be an effective anti-drug education program seems
In/,eawood, Kunsasamanrnhislate20stellstwoyoung to be anathema to these critics.
bout who are waning o:dside a bankfor the it
father that
he has locked his keys in his truck. The mcrn asks the The pertinent question here is: if the children are
boys if
theywrllcomewrthhrmandhelphrmgetintohis listeningtoandinternalizingthesafetytipsthatD.A.R.E.
truck. Bohr hoes reface to go with the man and run into is teaching, how can these critics be so sure that they are
[he hank. When un older mun who overheard the mans not listening to and internalizing the lessons taught on
convencution with the Iwo bw,c begins to yue.ctu,n hrnr, drug and gang avoidance? In fact, logic and common
the man walks quickly to hrs truck, gets in and speeds sense would seem to lead one to the conclusion that
uwuv. 77:ebrnts.cuvdievrememberedwhuttheirU..{.R.E. D.A.R.E.'s anti-drug and anti-gang messages must be
off ter surd to do if they were ever approached in this getting through to the kids as well, though the effects are
manner. less dramatic and far more difficult to discern.
A yozrng grr! firm Topeka, Kansas is given a buggre TheD.A.R.E. pro3~ram is actively involvedindefending
cnn[uining u white powdery substance by u neig/rbur'.c our children from negative inFluenees which can
chiklwho telLc thegrrl it i.cgunpowcler. /sven tlu,ugh.che jeopardize their future and ruin their lives. Though the
does nor wurrt to get lrer %riend in trouble, the girl take.e problems of drugs. gangs and violence are much more
the huggre to her grcurdmother who culls the police. intractable and less immediate than the emergent
b~hen the .ctrh.ctunce ac te.etecl, rt i.v found to he cucurrre. incidents reported above, the resistance skills D.A.R.E.
The /~..d.R./i. program wuc credued with teuchmg the teaches whichenablechildrentodealwiththoseproblzms
grr/ die right clang w du rn [hr.c .rduut«,n. are no less "survival skills" than the safety tips which
have allowed many D.A.R.E. kids to escape dangerous,
A l2-veur o/d Pinsjreld, ti/ussuclru.certs girl rs n,ld at even deadly situations.
gunpurm In grt vuo a rrrcur'a track crs'she wulk.c m .ec'lun,l.
7hegrr/ tzrke.e.ec veral.cteps inward the man's truck and The D.A.R.E. Critics
thcn sn,p.v, uppure,rr(v huw,rg trutrhle hreutlung. !!'hrn
the rrrcrn drape' /u.e gourd, thr,~;rrl runs us /cyst u.c.elrr cu,r In every field of endeavor, knowledge of the opponent
/i,rhelp. ,A'hc/rrulcunrurrsnow-h/nwrnvthrsrdewulkur is one of the kevs to success- The field of substance
6
~r] Upe[~ Le.'tl.;C t~ the hciwccn parcnt:,.md child should somdoneulse hate to
I' w come and pick up the child, saved her from at best, a
f~tt0t'11ey (~QpQral I~nghtcning cxpcrienco and a~ worst. what is even
J parent's worst nightmare. Ifa~ing a D.n.R.E. officer.
especially an energetic caring person like AI Nutter in
Fchruan~ I I, 1~~97 th~classroomonarcgularbasistalkin~,withandteachin~;
these kids, is an incredibly valuable experience For our
ivls_ Janet Rene. f IS .~ttornev General children. Before meeting Sgt- Nutter. Aim tended to he
frightened of all persons in uniforms, and now she has
Dear Ms. Reno, come to realize that law enforcement officers are out
there to help and help is a s..~ull word Cor ~.hal iic:'s dune
In September 1996, our daughter, Amy Brown, age for our family.
12 and a student at Hillcrest Elementary School in
Lebanon, Mo., was approached by a man she did not WecertainlywantD.A.R.E.andtheD.A.R.E.officer
know as she waited forme (her mother) to pick her up in our children's classroom. Regardless of a child's
after school. Fle pulled up beside her in a car and told academic abilities, D.A.R.E. allows each child to shine,
her, "Your Mom sent me after you." Amy asked who he to graduate from a class and feel special--and that's half
was and his response was, "Does it matter?" the battle in keeping our kids off of drugs and out of
harm's way, convincing them of how truly special they
"[t does to me!" Amy told him as she backed away are.
from his car, and then she applied something she had
learned from her D. A. R. E. classes taught by Sgt. AI We feel that as a direct result of Amy's D.A.R.E.
Nutter. "What's the code word?" she asked. The man classes she learned something that helped her avoid
was unsure of how to answer and Amy told him to wait, what could have been a tragic situation. The man
as she ran back into the school building to tell another involved was later picked up by local police but even
adult, and with that the man quickly drove away. with Amy's testimony, nothingcould be done since with
his denial they had no hard evidence that he had done
[ was informed of these events once I arrived at the anything illegal. They did find an outstanding ticket on
school to pick up Amy, and needless to say, I was just him,however, and he nolongerdrivesnearourchildren's
sick at the thought of what could have happened if Amy schools, which is no small thing in itself.
had not acted the way she did. As we lefr and drove
through town, Amy spotted the familiar red D.A.R.E. We want to thank all the people who are responsible
car. "Mom, there's Sgt. Nutter, can we tell him what for bringing D. A. R. E. and Sgt. Nutter into our local
happened?" Amy was so excited to explain to him that school and whatever it takes to keep this program going,
what he taught her had just saved her from a serious those in charge need to know it is well worth it!
situation, and he was very happy and excited to hear all
about it, as well he should be. Sincerely,
Wejustthinkyoushouldknowthatwhatourdaughter Don and Wendy Brown
learned in a D.A.R.E. class about having a code word Lebanon, MO 65536
abuse prevention is no exception to the rule. Knowing If this group's legalization and "harm reduction"
the goals of those who oppose D.A.R.E may assist philosophies are ever to be accepted, the American
D A.R.E. supporters in theirefforts to counter claims of public must be convinced that nothing can stem the tide
the progaam's detractors. of drugs in the nation and that current enforcement
policies and educational approaches are doing more
One source of much of the current criticism oP the harm than good. Since the late 1980x, the legalizers
D.A R.Ei. program is the drug legalization camp and haveredvubledtheirettortstospreadthemessageofthe
others who oppose D.A_R_E_'s zero tolerance message- "tailed" drug war through every possible medium.
the nx»t pr~~alenl prevcnUoi ucauvn prngram in Incrcasim„ Ur~ tee
the countn~ and one of the must visihlc represcnt:uives
ol~current drug pvlirics. D A.R li- has become a prnnc Alter more than a decade ofstcudv dcclmc m drug use
(argot of the Ic~!aliiers- Names of "drug ewperts" li6c among the nation's high school population, the national
tithan Nadelmann and Arnold ~I'rehach. two of the surveys hegan to shoe a resurgence in illicit drugs_
ti>rcmost spokesmen ti~rdrue Iegalizalion, have shown especially marijuana, m 199;. "fhe 1994 and 199j
up m recent news media articles critical of D.A.R E. surveys show a continuing upward trend in youthful
Nadclmann is head of the Lindesmith Center. a drug ahuse. though dru~~ use rates remain vyell below
cleannghouse for pro-drug information, and is on the those recorded at the peak ofthe nation's drug, epidemie
\dvisoryBoardoftheDrugPolicyFoundation,awealthv, in 1979 and the early 1930x.
international pro-drug lobby headquartered in
Washington. D.C. Trebach is President of the Drug In recent months, critics of the D.A.R.E. program have
Policy Foundation. Both the Lindesmith Center and the eagerly pointed to survey results as one more proof that
Drug Policy Foundation are heavily financed by the D.A.R.E. program is ineffective. Admittedly, this
billionaire George Soros, a major contributor and writer is somewhat puzzled by the tactic inasmuch as
supporter of the medical marijuana ini[iatives which D.A.R.E. has never been credited by these same critics
wererecen[IypassedbyvotersinCalifomiaandArizona. with having any role in the prior decade of declining
Of course when these and other legalizers take their drug use, even though it was duringthis time period that
shots at the D.A.R. E. program, their pro-drug stance is D.A.R.E.grewtonationalandintetnationalprominence.
never mentioned. In fact, mention of the national survey results in articles
critical of D.A.R.E. during the late 1980s and early
The Drug Reform Coordination Network (DRCNet), 1990s was conspicuous by its absence. Perhaps the
which is housed at the Drug Policy Foundation, is an survey statistics were too incompatiblewithasecondary
international alliance of drug culture groups working message of so many of these articles--that the war on
through the Internet. The DRCNet maintains a large file drugs was an expensive failure.
of anti-D.A.R.E. material on its website. The material
vilifies D. A. R. E. and contains substantial distortions Nevertheless, a critical analysis would tend to discount
regarding the program. D.A.R.E. program failure as a cause of rising drug use.
Remarking on the rising drug use phenomenon, Fred
Another major source of D.A.R. E. criticism has been Beauvais, Ph.D., of the Rocky Mountain Behavioral
drug prevention researchers and specialists who have Science Institute, Inc., writes, "Something in the social
developedandareattemptingtomarketcompetingdrug sphere has changed in the last few years, making drug
prevention education programs. Because of D.A.R.E.'s use again seem acceptable to more youth."
proliferation, the programs developed by these
researchers and specialists must competeforcontinually D.A.R.E.'s anti-drug message hasn't changed! So what
dwindling sources of funding. As long as D.A.R.E. is has`' Dr. Beauvais believes there are two significant
popularandheavilvsupportedbypoliceagencies,schools factors involved in this shifr in social norms. First,
and communities, the situation for competing drug Beauvais believes that parents are much less involved in
prevention curricula is not likely to get any better. discussing drugs with their children today. Second,
according to Beauvais, "Many people now observe that
ThoughnottheonlysourcesofD.A.R.E.criticism,these the media, both in the form of entertainment and
two groups certainly appear to be in the vanguard of the advertising, is now taking a much softer stance with
anti-D.A.R. E. movement. However, some individuals respecttotheuseofdrugs,andyoutharebeinginundated
and groups legitimately question D.A.R.E.'s success with pro-drug messages."
and effectiveness. Their concern, and rightly so, is that
the nation's children get the best possible chance at a In recent years, anti-drug messages and public service
brighter drug-free future. Thisarticfeiswrittenfortheir announcements in the mainstream mediahayedwindled
benefit as well as Fvr the many D.A. R.E. supporters who to near non-existence. Meanwhile, promotion of drugs
sincerely believe m the program. by pop-idols and celebrities saturate the entertainment
8
On My Mind
A M ROtiFN"IIIAI.
Draining the Drug War
(reprinted from 7'!rr .Vr-n Ynrk Tnrre~ 1
Inthedecadelhavebeenwritingabuutdnigsundthedrugwar notfullygrasptheirtinancialstrength.theirownfoundation
I have hcen getting a bonus that gets bigger every year, and network, nor the fact that by grants it reached into non-drums
more nduable. foundations. And I did not understand the extent to which so
many intellectuals had wulk.d away hom the struggle or used
The bonusisacollectionoffriendsacrossthecountrc, widely their inFluence to demean it--and were getting away fat and
~ cried but united by the belief that drug addiction is an free.
American plague that must be fought by every legal technique
from teaching and therapy to jail time and with the passion, The Arizona and California victories for the marijuana
intellect and energy that America can muster when it "medicalization" propositions were bugles. The key players
understands a danger is clear, present and continuing. were the financier George Soros and his money. He and the
foundations he created plan to use their power to win
This column is for them--those professional therapists, police "medicalization" primaries all over the country.
officers, doctors, lawyers, teachers, politicians who entered
the struggle, and those Americans who givetheirtime, money But no criticism of titr. Soros came from the White House.
and emorion not because drugs are related to their work but Journalists rushed to defend him. The use of money does not
because of the danger of narcotics to the mind and safety of have to be illegal to be contemptible or damage the country.
the nation.
Please note that in my list ofanti-drug comrades, journalists
But this isnot athank-you note at all. The purpose is to wring and writers are absent.
the smugness out of the anti-drug movement--mine included.
When ABC recently ran amonth-long series of programs and
We know the drug war is not lost but being won. We know spots stressing the need for parents to talk to children about
thatexceptformarijuanaamongchildren,adangerousexcept, drugs, the journalistic responses were embarrassingly anti-
drug abuse is going down; l0 million fewer users now than in intellectual sneers that the last program got "only" four
1985. We know that without the drug war we would be million viewers and triumphant proclamations that the drug
drowning in more addiction and therefore more crimes and war was lost, good riddance.
disease than the country has known.
Government and organizational anti-drug money is targeted
But this is to warn my friends that the determination to fight for lawenforcement, interdiction and therapeutic work. With
drugs actively is being drained and weakened and that we faz less money--a relatively few million--the backdoor
must start exacting a price from those who aze doing it. The legalizers can direct their work to win "medicalization"
price is exposure, followed by withdrawal of social, peer and primaries and to denounce all who oppose them.
professional respect, the only penalty they tear.
Yes, parents must talk to children about drug use. But parents
I am not interested now in trying to rum around Americans must also talk to them, and particularly to other parents, about
who finance or propagandize for the lie that the drug war is the propagandaagainstthedrugwar, about the campaigns that
lost, or push measures that would lead to more use of drugs. can spread the use of drugs without taking the responsibility
for it. They should talk about the foundations invoked and
When the time comes that they ofFer narcotics to their own their subcontractors, and about journalists and intellectuals
children. or forgo the therapy and attention that their money who help them orjust look away.
and status can buy for their children, then I may try again to
taketheirmindsoutofthedeepf}eezeoFtheirownselfishness. It will not take more money to talk and write about these
things, or put them into anti-drug ads, just enough courage to
fused to think maybe we anti-drug types paid too much expect nasty countertttack. Maybe one day the white House
attention to the minority of detractors of the drug war. I did might work up that much, too.
9
Truman Elementary School
901 W. Ashland
Nevada, MO 64772
(417-448-2080)
February 27, 1997
Dear Officer McCarty,
My fifth grade students are a very bright group of
students who are interested in news and national and
world affairs. Recently, several students brought the
attached news article which was is our local newspaper.
They were concerned that the D.A.R.E. program, i=a which
they were involved earlier this year, is being questioned
as to its long term elfectiveaess and if funding would be
more useful is some other area.
These students brought this to the attention of the rest
of the class. They were all concerned and wished to write
letters expressing their concern. I have attached these
letters and would like to send them on to you so that you
can also become aware of their concerns.
As you can see, the D.A.R.E. program has been very
important to them this year. As their teacher, I, too, am
concerned that this program might be cut because of lack
of lusadiag. I have seen firsthand the positive role model
you have been to them. Each student has expressed their
ez~oymeat of this program and developed confidence and
higher self-esteem because of it. I feel the D.A.R.E.
program is very important is the fifth grade curriculum.
Sincerely,
Karen Davis
5th Grade Teacher
Truman Elementary
Nevada, Missouri
to
incdio- ~'~~iedical" mari~uanu. tF ,:mp "suluUOn" and rchinc instead _ ei ~ht prc~ iuush completed D ,1 R I
nuuiluana Ieah logo itans arc acuvcly pushed on evaluations selected from a group of IS compiled by
.Amcncan wcicty- In addiuon_ news media stories in It"hI. ~I'heeightsclectedD-A.R E-saidiesweresublected
~~hich the claims oC drug Ie~~alizers are widely and to ameta-analysis to detcnnm~ D.f\.R E.'s impact un a
uncritically publicized have hecome common, along number oFoutcome measures includine druc use The
with nustulgiu pieces promoting 1960s drug culture outcomes oFthe meta-analysis of the D A.R E studies
dents like Woodstockorbiographicalstoriesfcaturing were then compared with outcomes fromameta-analysis
prominent drug gurus like the late Timothy Leary. of studies of other dru_~ abuse pre~.ention programs
conducted b_v Tobler, another prevention researcher.
Writes Dr. Beauvais: "To counteract this social
environment, we are convinced that hvo essential The comparison revealed that 2.~ R. E_ ~.~as more
components in prevention work are a return to greater effectivethannoninteractiveproeramsonmos[measures
parental involvement and an emphasis on teaching but less effective than interactive programs. The RTI
youth to critique; resist negative media intluences." study concluded that D.A.R.E. "had limited immediate
effects on use ofalcohol, tobacco and marijuana." Out
D.A.R. E. haslongemphasizedbothoftheseapproaches of the more than 100 pages of the RTI study, this
to drug abuse prevention. However, D. A. R. E. is only statement was immediately seized upon by D.AR.E.
one influence among many which determine drug use critics as proof that the curriculum was not effective.
rates in society. Though D.A.R.E.'s message has not However, the critics who prize this study so highly
changed, other factors apparently have. It is these apparently failed to read any further.
factors that are primarily responsible for the recent
increases in drug use among our children. While The RT[ researchers caution the reader at several places
D.A.R.E. has attempted to counteract these factors with within the study regarding the outcomes reported. For
improved curricula and teaching methods, it is naive to example, the RTI study states: "The immediate effect
suggest that D.A.R.E. can independently win the war on sizes forthe D.A.R.E. studies may have been attenuated
drugs; and, it is disingenuous to blame D.A.R.E. for compared to the comparison drug use prevention
current increases in drug use rates. programs because the control groups were not pure'no
treatment' groups....it is likely that most control groups
RTI received some drug education because the studies
occurred after the passage of the 1986 Drug Free Schools
In addition to statistics from recent drug use surveys, and Community Act." In other words, since D.A.R. E.
another constant in the D.A.R.E. critics' arsenal is a wasevaluatedwhileingeneralusewithinthecommunity,
study conducted by the Research Triangle Institute any effectiveness revealed by the D.A.R.E. studies was
(RTI) of Durham, North Carolina which was published probably over and above the effects of other drug
in 1994. The RTI study has been characterized by education which the non-D.A.R. E. control eroup of
D.A.R.E. critics as the detinitive study on D.A.R.E. students may have had.
The study, entitled Pus[ and Ful:rre Drrec[rnrze nJ~/he In addition, the RT[ study pointed out that because most
/~.A.2.1:: Prn~rum: An livuluutron /Zevtetir, was of Tobler's interactive programs "were primarily
conducted pursuanttoagrantfromtheNationallnstitute university research-based evaluation studies, the;
of Justice (NIJ) which was to enable RTI to complete evaluations--and the programs themselves--may have
"an extensive review of the D.A.RE. program and to been more stringently implemented and more closely
assess its place within the contextofthebroadspectrum monitored. Undertheseconditions,greatereftectiseness
of school-based drug prevention efforts." The study michtbeexpectedthaninreal-world conditions,suchas
consists of two main sections: an implementation thosesurroundingDA.R.E."Thus,D.A.RE washeing
Assessment and an Outcome Assessment. compared to "hot-house" projects which were ti ~hth
controlled and specially nurtured.
Outcome assessment: The Outcome Assessment
developed nooriginal research on the D A. R Ci. program, Yet. the R"f I snidy's own caveats are never mentioned by
11
the I) :A_RJ~ cnucs in their unt ~ IZ I~. ,tatemen(> source ol~ fun~._ .g than Hunt other drug alucahon
and arUClcs programs. In addition to rcccn mg ILnding
from vanous
public xuirccs, D.A. R. is much more l ikely than other
Implementatiun,~ssessment: IorthissectionofR'I'I's programstoreceiveFundsfromprivatesourccsincludin~
IlA.K.l~:.study,rescarchersdevelopedoriginalrese:arch corporate and individual donations.
through surveys of those involved in administering the
D R. E. program at the national, state and local levels, The RT(study also determined that D A.R.E. involves
and through interviews and limited classroom more elements oFthe local community in drug abusz
observation This portion of the study paints a vivid prevention efforts than any other program studied.
picture of D.A.R.E. as a widely used drug abuse Finally, the study revealed [hat the level of satisfaction
prevention program with well-developed national. state of school district staff; teachers, students ar,d parents
and local distribution and support systems. Some was much higher with D A.R.E. than with other drug,
component of the D.A.R.E. program, typically the ~thi prevention education programs.
6th grade core curriculum, was being taught in more
than halt ofthe school districts in the nation at the time As a whole, the RTI study ofthe D. A. R.E. program was
of the RTI study. (Currently D.A.R. E. is taught in 60 to apositivereportonD.A.R.E.'smanystrengthsincluding
70 percent of the nation's school districts). the consistency of its delivery, the dedication of its
officer instructors, its partnership with elements of the
AkeyRTltindingwasthatwhiledeliveryoftheD.A.R.E. community, and the effectivenessofitsdistributionand
program is very consistent, both in terms ofthe quality/ support systems. These strengths are, of course, never
quantity of subject matter taught and timely delivery of mentioned byD.A.R.E. opponents. The final conclusions
instruction to the students, other prevention programs and recommendations of the study are also never
are taught much more sporadically. A primary reason mentionedbycritics: "Inconclusion,D.A.R.E. represents
forthisisthatD.A.R.E.istaughtbyapoliceofficerwho aninstitutionthatisuniqueintheareaofdrugprevention:
is responsible only for delivery of the D.A.R.E. a partnership between law enforcement and education
curriculum whileotherprogramsaretaughtbyclassroom that has the substantial support ofchildren, parents and
teachers with myriad other responsibilities. the community at Iarge....D.A.R.E. has already
demonstrated its responsiveness to change by the
A 1997 RTI study of school-based drug prevention introduction of new curricula, revisions to the core
programs, which was commissioned by the U. S. curriculum, and expanded roles for D. A. R.E. officers.
Department of Education, found: "Delivery of drug Equally important to D.A.R.E.'s viability will be its
prevention curricula is not uniform within districts or continued coordination ofthe roles and responsibilities
schools, and it is difficult to measure the amountofdrug ofthemanyD.A.R.E.players....Webelievetheseefforts
prevention education that is actually delivered. Inmost will result in a program that maintains its unique identity
districts, classroom prevention activities were and place in drug education, while meeting more
implementedbyteachersbutbecauseoftimeconstraints, effectively the challenge of reducing drug use among
lack ofresources, and the pressures to focus on teaching youth."
the basic subjects, program delivery was often
inconsistent from one teacher to another, and program Cops [n The Classroom
elements were notdelivered in theirentirety." According
to the Education Department study, "Current experts in The D.A.R. E. curriculum was purposely designed for
the field of drug prevention say that inconsistent or delivery by a police officer. The reason for the police
incomplete deliveryofthepreventioncurriculumisone ot~icerinstructoristhreefold.First,withfieldexperience
of the main reasons why even those approaches that in dealing with the harm that drugs bring not only to the
have been proven effective under test conditions may userbuttotheirfamily,thepoliceofficerhasmuchmore
notshowpositiveresultswhenimplementedelsewhere." credibility with regard to drug issues than the typical
classroom teacher. Second, the police ot~icer is a very
Another significant finding of the RTI D A.R.E. study positive role model for the young students, something
was that D.A.R.E. is much less dependent on any one which is so often lacking in today's society. Finally, in
12
D.A.R.E. [ ,~courages Pam ent Role in
Drug Prevention
I he role ol'parcnts m mtluencing thcirchildren's use of program in our community. It was at this meeting,
drugs cannotbcminimized Current researchstrongh following the officer's remarks, that parents began to
points to the central role parents play in either share with each other their concerns about peer
~~encouragingordiscouragingtheirownkids'drugabuse. pressure among the fifth graders, the power of
'popular' kids and unsupervised homes where some
ManyD.A.R.E.studieshavesurveyedparentsconcemine students had beguntocongregate.ltwasthebeginning
theirattitudesregardingtheprogram. Parent support for of pa rents networking-sharinginformation,concerns
the program has been very high, though getting a and ideas."
~ significant number of them involved in drug prevention
~ hasattimesbeendifficult. One item which has appeared This parent continued:
i on a number of these parent surveys is concerned with
whether or not D. A. R.E. has made it easier to talk to "IthinkDAREwillworkbecauseIknowaDARE ~
~ their kids about drugs. A large majority ofparents have graduate--a 10-year-old fifth grader who carried her
said that the D.A.R.E. program has, indeed, made it DARE workbookandgraduationcerti6cate250miles '
easier to talk to their kids regarding drug use. to show them to her grandparents. And, [ know a
DARE graduate's family whose chemical awareness
Ina 1989 Minnesota study in which parents were has been raised. A family who because of a fifth
surveyed, one parent wrote: grader's questions and insights will now address the
problem of chemical use more openly, more honestly
"My introduction to DARE began when I received and with a great deal more confidence." ~
a letter from our school principal and the DARE
officer inviting me to a parent information evening. Perhaps this is one of the most important measures of ';I
At this meeting, the DARE officer explained the D.A.R.E.'s success. Over the long term, the opening of .
j programincludinghistraining,theDAREcurriculum a dialogue between parent and child regarding drugs
and the need forthatparticulardrugabuseprevention may be D,A.R.E.'s most notable achievement.
aconfusingtimewhensomeprominentpoliticalfigures, of the D.A.R. E. program conducted by the Evaluation
federal judges, entertainers, commentators and many and Training Institute ofLos Angeles found that school
others are calling for the legalization of all drugs, the administrators and teachers most often identified the
police officer reinforces and anchors official societal police officer in the classroom as the best feature of
disapproval of drug use in the eyes of the kids. D.A.R.E. Since then, numerous surveys of school
personnel have confirmed the effectiveness of the
Though crime preventionisalegitimatepolicefunction D.A.R.E. instructor. [n RT['s D. A. R. E. study, 69.7
and the absence of crime is a laudable goal, some percent of school district drug prevention coordinators
D.A.R.E. critics are convinced that police officers have rated D.A.R.E. teaching as "very satisfactory." Only
no business in the school classroom. Their objection to ?9.8percentofthesesamecoordinatorsratedtheteachine
police as D.A R.E. instructors rests on the contention ofotherdrugpreventionprogramsas"vervsatisfactorv.°
that law enforcement officers are not trained primarily
as teachers and cannot be as effective as professional A 1987 Kentucky study of D.A.R.E. indicates that one
school teachers in delivering an anti-drug curriculum. reason for drug abuse prevention program failure is that
"the program is delivered by a teacher who is either not
The efficacy of police officers as D.A.R.E. instructors sufficiently trained or committed to the program, who
has been documented from the very first. Initial studies sees it takingtime heorshe would ratherhe spendingon
13
other ,uh~crts.:md who will h~ ,ignmg the students out for help an._ ,nett plca~ should not ;utd must nut he
cracks m cuhcrthr prc~cnuun ur other courses. hhc tenured.
I> A K I.. prugr?rn is not hampered by these kinds of
constraints." "I he R~('I study hacks this up with the D..-Q.R.F.. and Community Policing
tiillowingstutemcnC "._themissionofD.A.R.Li.officers
m the school is axclusivcly drug prevention, to most Munv dru~~ prevention researchers observe that
leachers, drug prevention is often only part oFa larger community involvement in drug prevention is a key
curriculum." thrtorinprogrameftectiveness. TheRTlDepartmentof
Education study, for exmnple, identified "community
In addition to their unique experience as police officers imolyement in the program and a sense of shared
which give them special insights with regard to drugs responsibiliri for drug prevention and for developing
and drug abuse, D.A.R.E. officers are more highly long-term solutions" as one ofthe factors that facilitate
trained than classroom teachers for theirspeciticroleas the implementation ofa prevention program. This is
prevention prog=ram instructors. The RT( study states: also the very foundation of community policing, an
"...D.A.R.E. officer training lasts two weeks and is increasingly popularlawenforcementphilosophywhich
highly intensive;mostdrugpreventionprogramtraining is being implemented by law enforcement agencies
for teachers is of a shorter duration." And according to around the nation. The philosophy arises from the
the fifth year follow-up to the original 1987 Kentucky realization that the police alone cannot take sole
study of D.A.R.E.: "DARE officers receive a structured responsibility for crime and that any long-term solution
80 hour training course covering a number of topics to crime problems within a community must involve
including specific knowledge about the use and other elements of that community.
consequences ofdrug use as wet I as teaching techniques
and classroom management skills. Considerable Various studies attest to the substantial community
emphasis is given to practice teaching and to following support forand involvement with the D.A.R.E. program
the lesson plans. This is significantly more explicit in communities in which the program has been
training than is provided for any teacher-delivered implemented. In fact, the D.A.R.E. program was born
prevention intervention program. A process evaluation out of the realization that traditional law enforcement
lendscredencetothefidelitytothecurriculumandtothe methods had been unable to stem the tide of youthful
qualityoftheteachingexhibitedbytheDAREofficers." drug abuse. The programinvolvesaformalpartnership
between law enforcement and the schools, and is marked
Thus, by experience and by training, the police officer by a deliberate effort to involve parents and other
instructors of D.A.R. E. are uniquely suited to deliver community elements in drug abuse prevention. One of
prevention program instruction. Theireffectivenesshas those community elements, the kids, previously had
been documented in study after study of the proln'am. little contact with the police unless they got in trouble.
[n his treatise, Community Polrcrng ant/ D..-t.R.L:: ,-1
SomecriticsofD.A.R.E.,however,seethepoliceofficer Pructrtroner:ePerspecrwe,Dr.DavidCarter,Michigan
in the classroom in a much more sinister light, claiming State University, states: "D.A.R.E. opens the door to
that D.A.R.E. is enlisting young children in the war on young people to lay the foundation of responsible
drugs to spy on their parents and other family members. citizenship." As oneD.A.R.E.officerputit,"D.A.R.E.
Nothingcouldbefurtherfromthetruth. Atthebeginning gives children an opportunity to see that we aren't their
ofeachsemester,D.A.R.E.studentsareadvisedbytheir enemies, and it gives us the opportunity to become
D.A.R.E. instructor not to talk about their parents, involved with a very important part ofourcommunity."
relatives or friends in the classroom. On the rare
occasion when a student approaches a D.A.R.E. ot~ticer Dr. Cartercontinues: "Ithasbecomeincreasinglyevident
privately and advises him/her of a child endangering that D. A. R. E. provides important linkages to the
situation, the officer is required by law to report the community that were previously weak or nonexistent."
disclosure. However, schoolteachersandadministrators Carter details a number of community initiatives in
are also bound by law to report such disclosures and do various locations around the country in which the
report suchrevelatiunsdaily. These children arecrving D. A. R. E. program aneLbr D.A.R. E. officers played a
14
I~,undauonal mlc
I
I'hehcnclitsofUA-ILIf'spolicccomnninitymtcraction i ShOV~d
Iluw both wavy. Onc Calilbrnia police department ~
managerobservedthatufliccrsreturningt}omD.A.R.E. ~ ~ meda~
trammg c.vhibit "a delinile change in charactcr.._1he ~ ~ i
officers demonstrate greater sensitivity to the needs of I ~ ~
people in the community, and an eagerness to interact I ~
with the community and teach what they have learned." f hough Wood County (Ohio) Sheriff Juhn Kohl got I i
RTI's study of the D-A.R.E. program concluded: ~ about 520,000 for a new patrol car this year, his ~ ~
"Research indicates that the effects on police officers ~i constituents shouldn't expect to see himdrivingaround j ~j
throughtheirexposuretostudentsandtheproblemsthey ~ m a mce, shiny new caranytime soon.
it
face may also be substantial andbeneFcial. ft is possible, Sheriff Kohl has decided to use the money to help ~
in tact, that some of D.A.R.E.'s most important effects
are related to the relations between students and police finance an anti-drug program his department has
administered for the last three years, Drug Abuse
officers." I Resistance Education or D. A. R. E.
D.A. R. E. is notj ust drug education; it i s cri me prevention
and community policing. The program has played a StatefundingtotheWoodCountySheriffsDepartment
leadership role in the struggle against drug abuse among `vas recently cut from 515,000 last year tojusi 55,000
the nation's oun le. Dr.GilbertJ.Botvin,Director forthe 1996-97 school year. Other police and sheriffs
y gPeop departments around the state have also been hit by the
of the Institute for Prevention Research at Cornell cutbacks.
University Medical College, who has been critical ofthe
D.A.R.E.program,hasacknowledged: "...D.A.R.E.has "I really don't need anything fancy;myoldcarwilldo,"
been amazingly successful in promoting drug-abuse Sheriff Kohl said. "Keeping the DARE program going
prevention in many communities and deserves much is more important to me than a new vehicle." Would
credit." that more public servants had this kind of attitude
Components ofan Effective Prevention Curriculum ~ when it comes [o sacrificing for the good of their
communities.
Drug prevention research has identified a number of Wood County Sheriff John Koh( should be highly
critical components which, it is believed, must be commended for his selfless action.
included in a successful drug abuse prevention program.
Several ofthese are discussed below as they apply to the
D. A. R. E. program. experts in the field of drug abuse prevention. The
Board's purpose is to recommend future changes to the
Research-based/Theory-driven: Effective curricula D.A.R.E. program.
are based on an understanding of the current theory and
researchintodrugabuseprevention. Fromthebeginning, Developmentally Appropriate Information About
the D.A.R. E. program has made every possible effort to Drugs: Effectivedrugabuse preventioncurticulacontain
insure that its curriculum is based on a solid foundation accurate and relevant information that emphasizes the
of the latest prevention research. D.A.R.E. has made short-term and negative social consequences of drug
numerous adjustments to its core curriculum and has use. Thep.A.R.E.prog~ramhaslongrecognizedthisand
introduced additionalcurriculainresponsetothegrrowing has been highlyeffectiveinincreasingstudentknowledge
body ofresearch findings. The RTI studyacknowledges regarding drugs and drug use.
D.A.R.E.'s responsiveness to change. In addition,
D. A. R. E. America, the D A.R.E. program's lead Social Resistance Skills: The most successful programs
organization, has established a D,A.R.E. Scientific have been found to be those which teach social resistance
Advisory Board, comprised of some of the leading skills. These programs help students identih pressures
15
Urcrr ('u/~rmuur.~ U.A./lJ:'. OJJrcrrs.
.dl~c~r rrudut,t nr_v cluu,~•h/er:e /)..-LllJi. c.esur, / jr-!t rt nece.csurs~ m wrur tvu a l~trc~r
rrJupprecrznnrrr.
l:'vett [!rough we support [he U. A.R.I:. prngrum, until now we near rerdt_ed e_ructly
whut ull r[ taught otrr children. We lluttrgltt tltu[ U.A.R.Ii. wus ntumly about drag
uwureness, which we fee! rs very itnpur[attl, but we now know that D. A. R.f~: is so Horeb
more.
We think it s really great that you're teaching our children ubotrt stress and how m
alleviate it. /sure wish someone would have fought me about that when / wus young. /t's
something everyone needs help with!
It seems to as that D.A.R.E. has just enhanced what we, as parents, have been
rnstNling in our children since they were old enough to walk. Things like "u real friend
won't ask you to do something that will harm you or that is against the law, "that
"everyone has disagreements and talking them out is the right way to deal with them. "
The most profound lesson you supported us in was "to stand up
fits yourself, what you
believe in and what is right. "Andrea took the "assertive techniques"you taught her to
!:cart and applied them to situations with her real father.
Andrea really doesn't hove u very good relutionshrp with her real father, to suv the
least, but she :r court ordered to visit him one weekend a month. Andrea used !o have u
therapist that would help her express her feelings• and teach her how to be assertive
around her. real
father, but the therapist was promoted and the counselor who took her
place just didn't work the some way...luckily for Andrea she has the D.A.R.b'. program
now,
We can? express our gratitude enough frtr supporting us rn teucltrng otrr children to
believe in lhemselvec..., rolove themselves..., and [o ,[curd up,frtr themselves and vvhut
they believe in....
.Sincerely,
(Names of pazents have been withheld and student's name changed due to pn vacy considerations.)
which lead to drug use and show the students how to effort which focuses on the remediationofpsychological
resist those pressures. Many D.A.R.E. critics have factors thought to place adolescents at risk for drug
falsely characterized the program as a therapy-based abuse. However, a 1988 North Carolina study ofthe
16
I) :A I: I pro«ram titatcs " I'h~ , a growing trend in prescnnon mI _ .cnuon f„ inert this need. D A_R_F..
drug educaUOn Inward nnplcmcnting xhool-based ha. developed both a middle school and a high school
prngrunsthattcachadolcscenlssocialskdlshclicvcdto rurnculum. Additionalh. D.A.IZ.I{. nut only advises
enhance their ability to resist pressures to use kids to engage themselves in wholesome activities as
drugs-...Project DA.RIf iUrug Abuse Resistance alternativestobecomingincolvedwithdrugsandgans,
fiducatiun) is one oFscveral major school-based drug but ha: created D.A.RE.-P_L.U.S., an after-school
education programsthatareforusedprimarilyontraining uctivires program for middle school students. Finally,
students to resist social pressures to use drugs." realizing [he primary and substantial inFluenceofparents
\ormative Education: Successful drug prevention curr c~llum to teach parenDts ho vEo help keepdtheipraowm
programs teach students that most people do not abuse kids drug-free.
drugs,evenamongtheirpeers. The bellefamongyoung
people[hat"everybodysdoing it"isapowerful influence TheD.:~.R.E.Studies
that must be countered by drug prevention education.
OneofthefirstlessonsthatD.A.R.E.teachesstudentsin The D. A. R.E. program has been the subject of more
the core curriculum is that drug use is notnonnalamong independent evaluations by tar than any other drug
their peers nor in the general population. abuse prevention education program. Over 30 studies
have attempted to assess D.A.R.E.'s effectiveness in
Broader-based Skills Training: Social resistance skills influencinganumberofdrug-related outcomes. Most
training is sometimes presented within the context of a haveconfirmedD.A.R.E.'sabilitytopositivelyinfluence
broader range of personal and social skills. Skills student attitudes about drug use. Almost all have
typically covered include decision-making skills, goal- documented D.A.R.E.'s widespread support within the
setting, stress management, general social skills and community and the high levels of satisfaction with the
assertive skills. Some evidence suggests these broader- program amongschool administrators,teachers,students
basedprogramsaremoreeffectivethansocialresistance and parents. While resultsofevaluationsofD.A.R.E.'s
skills alone. The D.A.R.E. curriculum stresses this effects on actual drug use are more mixed, sufficient
broader range of skills. hard evidence of D.A.R.E.'s effectiveness in inhibiting
and reducing youthful drug abuse does exist in the
Interactive Teaching Techniques: Most social current research literature.
resistance skills programs use interactive teaching
techniques such as role-playing, discussions and small Dr. Randall C. Swaim, Tri-Ethnic Center for Prevention
group activities. Studies show that effective programs Research, Department of Psychology, Colorado State
use interactiveteaching.TheD.A.R.E.programutilizes University,reviewedsevenearlystudiesoftheD.A.R.E.
a numberofteachingmodalitiesandmethods,andrelies program (conducted prior to 1993)andconcluded: "As
heavily on interactive teaching techniques. with the evaluation ofany program, the results reported
above are not uniform. But several trends are worthy of
Adequate Coverageand Sufficient Follow-up: Many note. The primary effects of the D.A.R.E. program in
drugabusepreventionprogramstendtobebriefmakin~ the short-tennappearto bean increased negative attitude
the programs somewhat weak and ineffective when toward drugs and alcohol and increased peer resistance
compared to other influences kids are exposed to on an skills. Mixed tindings were found in the use ofdrugs and
on-going basis. The D.A.R.E. core curriculum consists alcohol. !t is likely, however, that the short-term effects
of 17 hour-long sessions presented during the course of of DARE on substance use will be to limit the initiation
oneschoolsemesterlnaddition,curriculumcomponents of useratherthantodecreaseuseamongcurrentusers.
havebeendevelopedforyoungerstudentsinkindergarten That is, those students who have never tried drugs or
through fourth grade as an introduction to the D.A.R.E. alcohol will he less likely to experiment, or will delay
officer as well as to the D.A.R.E. program at their their experimentation as a result of the D.A.R.E.
school. To keep prevention effects tiom decaying over experience."
time, research has found that "booster sessions" are
necessary periodically ti~llowing the initial drug abuse A 1990 Long [3each study aptly illustrates Dr. Swaim's
17
conclusu>ns regarduig I) A K I cffi;ct un pUR VIEW
drug use bchavlors. fhe studs, uinducted by js
Iwo Califi>rniu State lJnivcrsity Long Beach
criminologists,surveyedmorethan3,(100Long
Reach school children.. At the beginning of ef~eCtlVe
lhel'allSCmeSt(:r,WrlltenClUCS(IOMAlretiw'Cfe (reprintrdti'ont[hewlarion.Indiana(7urnuc/rGrhunrl
distributed to all fifth grade classes. Halfof
the classes were to receive D A.R.E. and half The federal education depamnent dues Oh all the throes l'ncle Surn
were not. Students were surveyed again at the not know wlmion. .v-antes money on, dropping
end of the semester to measure [he impact of S IOtohelpkeepkidsoffdmgs
instruction. The Study revealed that drug use A report commissioned by the does not seem like such a
wentupinboth[heD.A.R.E.andnon-D.A.R.E. depamnent knocks school-based anti- waste.
drug rogralns--s ecificall Dtu~Abuse
group during the semester. However, whereas ResiPtance Edpcation programs-- The report, by its own
only two percent of D.A.R.E. students began claiming that there has been no admission, does not wive a
drinking wine, 12 percent of the children overwhelming reduction in the use of statistically reliable picture of
without D. A. R.E. had taken up the practice. drugs by fifh- through eighth-graders. the whole country, and it does
Similarly, while one percent of the D. A.R.E. not
predict what drug use
kids began drinking beer, 10 percent of the This is oneoftheinherentproblemswith would be likeiftherewereno
non-D.A.R.E.group had taken tobeerdrittlting. the beliefthatgovemmentprogramsand D.A.R.E.programs.
money can solve our country's social
Manycnticshaveclaimedthatdrugprevention and economic ills. D.A.R. E. and other programs
programs, including D.A.R. E., are responsible should complement other
for greater drug use among students. Some They cannot. Never could, never will. sourcesofanti-drug messages.
Acrd the most important anti-
say that the teaching of value-neutral Of course, school programs alone will drug messages should be
psychologicalconcept5encourageChildrento not put much of a dent in drug use by coming from children's
adopt theirown independent values and makes
drug use a choice. However, as has already young teens. homes.
been pointed out, D. A. R.E. Stresses the But that is notareasontopulltheplugon If parents, grandparents,
development ofsocialskills thathelpstudents them or bash them. guardians and other adults in
resist societal pressures to use drugs. And children's lives are not being
D.A.R.E. is definitely not neutral when it Marion-area schools have D.A.R.E. goodandproperrolemodels,
comes to drugs. From the initial lesson when programs, and from what student then all the programs in the
students are told [hat D:A.R.E. is a program Parucipantsandotherssay,theprograms world will not matter.
designed to prevent substance abuse, to the do, indeed have a positive effect.
final lesson in which students take a stand But if children hear self-
Therearekidswhostayoffdrugsatleast respect and anti-drug
againStdruguse,D.A.R.E.isanti-drug. Drugs in partbecauseofwhattheyhavelearned messages at home. at church,
are never portrayed as a viable choice for the in D.A.R.E. at school and from fiiends•
students. Other critics, especially drug they will know there is
legalizers, assert that students are turned off Maybe the department can imply chat something to them, and they
by D.A.R.E.'s no-use message and take up some programsarefailures,butnotthose will take the messages
drug use out of spite. in the Marion area. seriously.
Whatevertheirreasoning,criticswhoattribute Alex HuskeyandJeffConnoftheNfarion So, to AlexHuskey.JeffConn
a"boomerang"effect to D. A. R. E. instruction police Deparrmentandothersworkhard andotherswhohelpD.A.R,E.
should find the results of the fifth-vear to get their messages across. and there Do not give up. llrere are
are kids in our area who pay attention. success stones. Weneedyou.
evaluation of the Illinois D.A.R.E. program
most interesting: "Exposure to non-D.A.R. E. TheDepatvnentofEducationreportsmd To parents and other role
drugeduCa[ion was included in the regression an average of $ IO in federal, state and models: You haveajobtodo.
analysis as a covariate to help isolate the local money is spent prr student. too.
18
Ixissihlc cCl'ecb of D A R l hou~!h thu protect ~uhslan~es one. or t~~icc. but nut r~ccntl~ Studcnte
began us a randomved cvpenment Iwith hall of the who used alcohol un a more froyuent basis. or used
students n~~t exposed to I) A_R fi. each year the entire marijuana on an occasional, but not on a regular basis.
sample receives some type of drug education by law, were classified as moderate risk. High risk students
ranging tom very weak to very extensive programs. wore those who were heavy alcohol users or regular
I Icnce, there is a real possibility that such widespread users ofuther drugs.
'contamination'ot thecontrol grouphas been masking or
altering the effects ofD.A.R.E. in previous years, or W'hile~8percentofthenoDA.R.E.g~roupwereclassitied
has had a signiticanteffectofitsown. Surprisingly, the as low risk, 63 percent of those students who had
results indicate that thistvpeofeducationissigniticanth~ received the D.A.R.E. core curriculum only were
relatedtomanydruguseoutcomesinanegativeway._.[n classified in this group. More significantly. however.
the present context, the important fact is that D.A.R.E. was the tact that T percent of the students who had
is notpartofthisproblem,andinfact,certaininteraction received multiple D.A.R.E. classes were classified in
results suggest that participation in D.A.R.E. may help , the low risk group. The high risk group included 1
to inhibit the adverse effects of exposure to other drug percent of the non-D.A.R.E. I Ith graders but only 10
education programs." percent of those who had received multiple D.A.R.E.
classes. The study found thatD.A.R.E.strengthenspeer
Recently, the D. A. R. E. detractors have been critical of associations that discourage drug use and increases
the lack of long-term effectiveness of the program. It resistance to peers who encourage it. In addition,
should be noted, however, that a single semester ofany students with D. A. R.E. training were more likely to
drug prevention program will not drug-proofa child for discuss the dangers of drugs with their parents and
life. One semester of D.A.R. E. does not provide a D.A.R.E.studentswerefoundtohavegreaterrespectfor
lifetimeinoculationagainstdruguseanditshouldnotbe the police and were more likely to view police as helpful
expected to do so. As previously pointed out, the latest than non-D.A.R.E. students.
research indicates the need for "booster sessions" to
reinforce the initial intervention. Though D.A.R.E. The initial results of an ongoing study in rural Oregon,
curricula have been developed for middle schools and known as the "North Marion D.A.R.E. Research Project",
senior high schools, these are seldom used. According were released in 1997. [n the North Marion School
to the RTI D.A.R.E. study, of the school districts using District, D.A.R.E. instruction was originally offered in
D.A.R.E., 81 percent had implemented the core the sixth grade. However, at the beginningofD.A.R.E.'s
curriculum. However, only 22 percent of the school second year in the district, instruction was shifred to the
districts had implemented [hemiddleschoolcurriculum fifrhgrade,resultinginoneclassmissingoutonD.A.R.E.
and a mere six percent used the high school curriculum. instruction. This has provided a unique opportunity to
compare students who have received D. A. R. E.
Recent Evaluations of D.A.R.E. Show Promise instruction witharepresentativecontrolgroupofstudents
from the same school and geographic location. The
Only one study has examined the effects of multiple group of students who initially received D.A.R.E.
D.A.R.E. interventions on student drug use. A 1994 instruction are now IOth graders. Students who did not
evaluation out of Ohio State University concluded that receive the D.A.R,E. program are ninth ~ aders. All
when the D.A.R.E. core curriculum is reinforced by subsequent North Marion School District classes have
either the middle school curriculum or the high school participated in the D. A. R. E. program.
curriculum, or both, adolescent drug use is significantly
lower than with no D.A.R.E. or with the D. A. R.E. core Comparison ofdrug use rates ofthe ninth }grade control
curriculum alone. The study surveyed 3,1 ~0 I I th Spade group with drug use rates of eighth graders revealed
students across the state of Ohio. On the basis of their significantly higher use rates among the non-D. A. R. E.
survey responses students were classified into three risk control group. However, a comparison between the
groups with regard to drug use. Low risk students were control group and IOth grade students also revealed
those who had never used drugs or alcohol, those who much higherdrug use ratesamongthe ninth graders. For
rarely drank, and those who had experimented with example, rates of tobacco smoking were 38 percent
19
t-I~j'1'I~ .).~~.li.l:. lil.~~'1' ~Ols'S O\T
I lore we go again, I thought as I read the headline; on a ~I'hearticlecontinucs: "Prevention programsthatinclude
stun Isom the March 19. 1997 edition of the S'u/t Lerkr lessons in social competency, coping with problems,
li~rhrruc, "Drug Expert Darcy Utah [n Dump DAR['; self=esteem enhancement and druginfonnationsucceed
I'uli~c because they prepare youths to face peer and other
"A drug-abuse prevention ti~rnula: ack a classroom pressures to use drugs, Butvm said." The man has just
with students and send a uniformed police officer ever readtheDA.R.E.corecurriculum IaskmyselPeAt
bedecked withtirearms,pepperspravandhandcuffsto theendofthearticleldiscoverthatBoh,inhasdeveloped
lecture them on the dangers of drugs." his own program, /,rfe ,SkJI.~ lrurnuag, that has been
piloted and evaluated in 30 New York City schools. I'm
[ know after reading the first paragraph that the article sort ofsurprised that the fact is mentioned at all. Botvin
is going to be the usual fair and balanced news piece on says that money has been poured into drug prevention
the D.A.R.E. program--NOT! programs that do not work at the expense of other
programs.
"There is not a scintilla of evidence DARE works
preventing drug abuse," Gilbert Botvin, director of the But wait. There's something else that keeps nagging at
Institute forPrevention Research atCornell University's me. According to the article, D.A.R. E., which is now in
Medical College, is quoted as saying. "...I would not use its 10th year in Utah, was presented to more than
DARE," he continues. [ wonderif Botvin has read all of 232,000 children last year. But the State Office of
theD.A.R.E.studiesthatshowD.A.R.E.'spositiveeffects Education has its own school-based drug program,
on student drug attitudes and use. Prevention Drmenston, that was begun in 1981. "The
program reaches 300,000 students a year, kindergarten
Botvin goes on to saythat police officers are not trained through high school seniors, in all 40 Utah school
teachers. While this is true, study after study attests to districts." Only good things are implied or said about it,
thecompetencyoftheD.A.R.E.officerintheclassroom. however.
And it has been well established thatthe training D.A.R. E.
officers receive beforeteachingtheD.A.R.E. curriculum Let me see if I'm getting this right, 1 reason to myself.
is far more extensive and intensive than that received by This Preventton Dimension program had asix-year
teachers who teach other drug prevention programs. I headstartonD.A.R.E.,reachesmorestudentseachyear,
wonder ifBotvin has heard that the D.A.R. E. program is and has greater coverage of all grade levels, and yet it's
taught more consistently than teacher-led prevention only the D.A.R.E. program that's failing in Utah? I
programs. Not because D.A.R.E. ot~icers are better reread the article to makesurelhaven'tmissedanvthing.
teachers, but because the primary focus ofthe D. A. R. E. [haven't. Try as I might [still don't understand how the
officer is drug prevention. This can never be said of a same set of drug use statistics can prove Prevention
classroom teacher who must always be concerned with Drmen.rMn works while D.A.R.E. doesn't.
a tremendous amount of other subject matter which
must be taught in a limited amount of time. My head begins to hurt, as the beat goes on....
higher among ninth graders than among eighth graders ninth graders than either eighth or 10th graders. The
or IOthgraders. The ninthg~radecontrolgrouphada215 study points out regarding the comparison of drug use
percent higher frequent use rate of hard liquor than rates between ninth and IOth grade students: "It is well
eighth graders and a 56 percent higher frequent use rate established that under ordinary Feld conditions, IOth
than IOthgraders. Ninth graders reportedafrequentuse graders shouldhaveahigherrateofuseforallsubstances
rate for marijuana that was 300 percent higher than for due to normal maturation and developmental patterns,
eighth graders and 114 percent higherthan IOth graders. as well as their increased independence and mobility
Use rates for inhalants were 300 percent higher among that heighten accessibility."
20
•
,
\n:utumpt~~asmadctuidcnulw iahlcsthatmavha~c pruer;un. :\cc,.,dmg to the `urvcv. 17 ~ percent of the
nnpactcd diffcrcnUal drug use rates. Commonly students reported using cigarettes pnor to receiving
rccognivcdriskfuctorsanddcmographic~ariablcswerc DA. R. F..instruction_ Allcrrumplcuonofthcprogram,
cxaminud lift both the test group and the control group. this figure dropped to 6.6 percent- Before D.A R_E_
"Findings revealed that the only identttiable difference instruction, 37.3 percent oFthe students reported use of
between the two groups was that the Control Group-9th alcohol; after U.A.RE alcohol use dropped to 9.9
graders did not receive D. A. R. E. instruction." percentofthestudents. [Jseofmarijuanaandinhalants
also showed marked decreases after D A. R. E. instruction.
Most of the existing oval uations of D. A. R. E. have been
studies ofa curriculum that is no longer in use. In 199x, Ifope For The Future
a revised D.A.R.E. core curriculum was implemented
nationally. Though the curriculum was not in use in Ample evidence to support D. A. R.E.'s effectiveness as
time to be evaluated in the RTI study ofD.A.R.E., RT[ adrugpreventionstrategycurrentlyexistsinthevolumes
did acknowledge it: "The updated core curriculum ofD.A.R.E.studiesalreadyconducted. The good news
differs from the previous version in a variety of ways. is that despiteaveritablestormofcriticismpromulgated
The new curriculum: includes tobacco as a gateway in the news media, supportforD.A.R.E.remainsstrong.
drug..., emphasizes normative beliefs and protective Though a handfull of law enforcement agencies have
factors, adds violence prevention/conflict resolution dropped the D.A.R.E. program--most because of
strategies, uses more participatory learning activities, budgetary constraints--many more have taken up the
and employs a more collaborative partnership between D.A.R.E. banner. Duringthe firstthree months of 1997,
theD.A.R.E.officerandtheteacherintheclassroom...." SS lawenforcementagenciesimplementednewD.A.R.E.
programs in communities around the country.
The first study to evaluate the revised D. A.R.E. core
curriculum was conducted in Illinois. Dr. Dennis P. However, it cannot be stressed strongly enough that
Rosenbaum, of the University of Illinois at Chicago, neitherD.A.R.E. noranyotherdrugpreventionprogram
who was involved in the original Illinois D.A.R.E. can solve the nation's drug problem. D.A.R.E. is not a
study, directed the project. The study found: "Exposure stand-alone prol,~ram. Its message must be backed up by
to the D.A.R.E. program did have significant impact on the community, and especially parents. D.A.R.E. has
students' short term use of drugs. The test measures assumed a leadership role in drug abuse prevention
indicated many of the attitudes and beliefs regarding because its underlying philosophy recognizes that drug
drug use were changed." Specific results which were abuse isacommunityproblem,notjustapoliceproblem,
statistically significant included: negative attitudes not just a school problem, not just a family problem.
toward drug use, gangs and violence were attributed to D.A.R.E.'s greatest strength lies in its ability to involve
the D.A.R.E. program; students were more aware of diverse elements of the community in the struggle
media influences which promoted alcohol and tobacco against drug use by our young people.
consumption; students reported stronger peer pressure
resistance skills; and, students who participated in the Those involved in D.A.R.E. program delivery must
D.A.R. E. program were less likely to use alcohol than continue to activelyseekthesupportandinvolvementof
students who did not have D.A.R.E. the communities which have adoptedD.A.R.E. Parents,
schools, law enforcement, the business community,
Finally,a1996studyoftheFargo,NorthDakotaD.A.R.E. communiNserviceorganizations,localmedia,allmust
program was conducted by a professor from North recognize that they have a vital role to play in keeping
Dakota State University. A survey was completed by our children away from drugs, and must be encouraged
340 sixth smade students who were enrolled in D.A.R. E. to assume that role.
classes in Fargo schools duringthe Spri ng 1996 semester.
The survey was distributed to students during the 16th As long as the D.A.R.E. program is able to mobilize
week of D.A.RE. when instruction is essentially community resources against drug abuse, we and our
completed, and included questions regarding students' children can look with hope and vision to a brighter,
self=reported drug use before and after the D A.R.E. drug-free future.
21