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Credit D.A.R.E. for lower teen drug use rate Mail Tribune / Drew Fleming Jewett Elementary School fifth-grader Nicole Schlosser reads an essay on the danger of drugs, alcohol and cigarettes as Central Point police school resource officer Dan Brown looks on. Students read their essays aloud in order to attend D.A.R.E. days events at Emigrant Lake. Courses focus on decision making, problem solving By JILL BRISKEY School resource officer Dan Brown has a hard time making out the smudged note given to him by a student at Jewett Elementary in Central Point, but eventually he deciphers the query. "How old do you have to be to go to a whiskey shop?" Brown said as he read the question to 30 students Tuesday afternoon. "At least 21," came his reply. Kids give reasons to not drink or smoke Tuesday, students in Chris Alden's fifth-grade class at Jewett Elementary School in Central Point presented essays about why people should not drink, take drugs or smoke as part of their D.A.R.E. curriculum. Here are a few of their reasons. Adam McCloud: "Let's just say my teeth and gums are too white and pink to chew or smoke." Chelsea Acrey: "They can make you smell bad." Whitney Case: "You can die and get sick." Kelly Needham: "If you are driving drunk, you can swerve and hit a tree." Kayla Johnson: "They are illegal so it's against the law." Joey Pina: "It's dangerous and it can get you in trouble with the boss." Johnny Fowler: "You can get a hangover and drunk and nobody will like you." Sam Geer: "You might die ... then you will be dead in the ground." Sarah Monson: "I don't want to live in jail and be a criminal." Curtis Yungen: "Drugs can damage your health and make you pass out." Adrian Adams: "I don't want to and I would think you wouldn't either." It's just one of several anonymous questions that Brown - a Central Point police officer who teaches Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) classes every term at Jewett, Central Point and Mae Richardson elementary schools - answers for curious students as part of the curriculum. It's a program that has come under fire as parents and critics question its long-term effectiveness and the possibility that kids are being urged to turn in family members who use drugs. "We receive calls about the D.A.R.E. program on a semi-regular basis," said Carl Worden, the liaison officer for the Southern Oregon Militia, who questions the program's effectiveness in the war on drugs. "The police were apparently asking the children a lot of questions about what their parents were doing at home, such as drinking and smoking." But police officers in Southern Oregon say that's not the case. They point to a 1998 Health and Human Services National Household Survey on Drug Abuse that shows a decline in teen drug use since 1998. They say D.A.R.E. has played a key role. D.A.R.E. is 17-week course, taught by police officers inside a classroom. It focuses on the effects of drug abuse, decision making and problem solving skills and alternatives to drug use. The program highlights the consequences of alcohol, drug and tobacco use among students, along with building self esteem. "Anytime you put officers together with kids in a nonadvisory position it can't help but do some good," Central Point police Chief Mike Sweeny said. "It's not used as a tool to gather intelligence in order to go after parents." Medford police D.A.R.E. officer Joe Ajhar agrees. "We're building a rapport with kids. They realize that (police officers) are people," he said. "There are people out there that think the police are out there just to make arrests. We're just out there trying to build a rapport with the kids and show them the facts." Ajhar said only a "handful" of reports made by students have been investigated during his seven years as a D.A.R.E. officer. Usually, the cases are turned over to a different police officer or agency such as Services to Children and Families. Brown said students will often tell him that a family member smokes or drinks, something students are urged to avoid. "We say they are not a bad person, they are just an adult and adults can make their own choices. This program is about you, and what kids can do," Brown said. According to Jewett fifth-grade teacher Chris Alden, Brown's presence in the classroom saves him from answering increasingly difficult questions his students often pose about illegal drugs. "Kids start having a lot of questions at this age," he said. "They start becoming more aware of what's going on. It's a good way to answer those questions, with an authoritative figure that they can respect. It's a great program." And many students agree. "I think if there was no D.A.R.E. program kids would be taking drugs and being violent," fifth-grader Catherine Batz added. Reach reporter Jill Briskey at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.