The wrong Lane

In the June 2 edition, Mr. Lane Hiltunen said that the DARE program does not work and is a complete waste of tax dollars because there are no numbers to support the success of the DARE program. He uses the arrest of those involved at the Windham High School as an example for the failure of the DARE program.

The DARE program isn’t a matter of numbers. If the program stops one kid from using drugs isn’t it a success? Any logical parent would agree, especially, if it was their kid who made the choice not to use because the DARE program helped to influence that decision.

It is ignorant to think that because a LARGE number of kids at Windham High school are involved in this drug ring that the DARE program is a failure. In fact, a larger number of kids aren’t using drugs. This is because there are a number of influences, such as parents, siblings, friends, respect for themselves, and I’m sure the DARE program has also influenced their decision not to use, as well as a number of other reasons.

I would not call 50 kids a LARGE number. The population of the Windham High School is 900-plus kids and with only somewhere around 50 kids involved in this drug ring. That’s only 5.5 percent. I would hardly call that a LARGE number. Compared to the 94.5 percent of the student population who are not using. Doesn’t this number represent the effectiveness of the DARE program?

Mr. Hiltunen doesn’t understand the BIG picture with drug prevention programs. In the long run the one kid who has made the decision not to use drugs saves thousands of taxpayer dollars every year. This enormous cost can not even begin to compare to the cost of programs like DARE.

Why has Mr. Hiltunen changed his position on funding the School Recourse Officer? A year ago he was completely against this position and felt it was a waste of taxpayer dollars. Apparently, this one case is worth the cost of the SRO program. In comparison, isn’t the cost of saving one kid from years of drug abuse worth it, as well?

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