|
|
|
|
|
Today, D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance and Education) reaches approximately 25 million American students
per year in kindergarten through 12th grade in over 250,000 classrooms. It also teaches them how to resist
unwanted peer pressure and to build and maintain self-confidence. With D.A.R.E. officers salaries paid by
local law enforcement agencies, the total cost of D.A.R.E. for one child, from kindergarten through 12th
grade, is just over $12. This compares to $40,000 per year for incarceration. We then spend $800 a day and up on treatment
programs, increasing costs exponentially. And in a society where over 23 million Americans use illegal drugs, prevention
far outweighs the costly alternative.
The D.A.R.E. program is alive and well in the Village of Solvay. The program is directed at the younger members of our
community. Officer Ascioti teaches the D.A.R.E. Program in our elementary and middle schools. Officer Ascioti also
attends school functions and provides a tremendous resource for the schools.
D.A.R.E. offers an innovative approach to substance abuse prevention that has been both well-received and easily adapted.
This drug resistance program effectively addresses yet another form of child exploitation - victimization through substance
abuse.
Visit the D.A.R.E. Homepage for more information on how the program works.
|
|
