A week or so ago outside my local grocery market I came face to face with a nicely dressed young man and his card table draped with a D.A.R.E. banner topped off with D.A.R.E. toys for sale.

Now right off I'll tell you I am not a fan of the D.A.R.E. program. I mean how bright do you have to be to know that talking to 10 year olds about drugs and paraphernalia, is only going to pique there interest? And subsequently, after 20 years of implementation studies showed the D.A.R.E. program, rather than decreasing drug usage was in fact encouraging drug usage, thus the need for the New D.A.R.E.

So I talked with the young man a couple of times as he spent a week out front the store. I read the brochure. And I remain dissatisfied that this is a productive program.

First off, I learned D.A.R.E. is a non profit, not a government program. I haven't determined who funds this program but then that's not really the point at present.

Second, on the back of the D.A.R.E. brochure they congratulate themselves and their 'New" D.A.R.E., "BECAUSE IT WORKS." How the hell do they know if this is a brand new, revamped program.

Inside the brochure we discover D.A.R.E. cares, kids are our future, yadi yada SOS ...

D.A.R.E. seems to believe it's their job, because of their fore mentioned caring, to teach "our children-from kindergarten through high school- ..." In our subsequent conversation, I questioned the gentleman about speaking to k-2nd graders about drugs whereupon I was informed that would not be part of the conversation but rather improving their self esteem and teaching them how to be safe. My response was those are the jobs of parents, neighbors and locals generally, to watch out for our children; and how could he disagree with that. He additionally agree he was down here from Boston collecting a pay check(whereupon I felt compelled to apply a geography lesson for his edification) .

Continuing in the brochure we are informed that, The New D.A.R.E. Difference, is, An Investment in Your Community's Future. As would be expected the new D.A.R.E. curricula incorporates "innovative prevention science and research-based strategies designed to improve student skills and outcomes". Sounds wonderful doesn't it!

Among the 12 bullets that follow we discover this program is science-based(so was the old one), utilizes active learning(this Johnny is an Oxycontin?), Targets communication and refusal skills(nah man, I got m'Ritalin), teaches decision-making skills(this is what the good shit looks like, don't be fooled by imitations), TEACHES ACCURATE NORMATIVE BELIEFS(now what might those be? The non-volunteer, non-community-based representative didn't know), Supports positive peer influence(isn't that a kinda relative, in the eye of the beholder, situational determination), Promotes high self-efficacy(what), Creates a working knowledge of risk(now how do you do that without introducing them to the stuff, man!), Develops healthy attitudes(sounds like accurate normative beliefs again), Uses specially trained officers, is a community-based program(which is an absurd lie), and of course, D.A.R.E., Meets National Health Education Standards(another community-based program no doubt).

As would be expected there are various self serving quotations from a D.A.R.E. graduate, a D.E.A. Administrator and an idiot parent of a D.A.R.E. student who declares, "D.A.R.E. gives kids the opportunity to develop confidence through challenge and example; it develops an unshakable belief in oneself." Sounds more like more of the same narcissistic self esteem programs that have proved so damning to this nations youth, don't it?

It's called indoctrination folks. And once again, it's only going to pique your average kids curiosity. Especially if they've already been Ritalinized. Why? Because the kids aren't stupid, they already know just saying no is a joke if the school or SRS/CPS wants to dope them or fellow students into submission(the evidence is walking the halls with them).

Too, I am ever reminded of a conversation with a graduating senior some years ago, which reminded me of my own time in school years before that. This friends child wanted me to buy a couple of six packs for him and two buddies to celebrate their graduation, and naturally I had to refuse(though I sympathised), it is the American way after all. He turned to me and told the absolute truth, we could've gotten any drug we wanted at school today but we can't drink a few lousy beers to celebrate.

My point: all D.A.R.E. has ever accomplished, or ever will, despite its "rigorous scientific evaluation" is to encourage drug usage in our children at earlier and earlier ages. Refute it at a grocery near you!