Sheriff campaign debate over D.A.R.E. calls Volume 18 Number 45 attention to school-based approaches November 20, 2006 The Drug Abuse Resistance Education Cameron celebrated a resound­ Print ISSN 1042-1394 (D.A.R.E.) program seems destined to ing victory in the election earlier this capture the most attention among month, capturing 56 percent of the Online ISSN 1556-7591 school systems, despite the program’s vote in the county race. weak evidence base and the presence Zylak’s decision to eliminate Highlights… Tof numerous alternatives tailored to a D.A.R.E. had come at a time when variety of age groups. Many commu­ his department was facing other Despite the lack of evidence nities across the country still essential­ constraints, having seen a drop in its showing it works, the D.A.R.E. ly equate school-based prevention overall number of narcotics detec­ program is still beloved of schools, with D.A.R.E. tives. Zylak had said that the depart­ parents, communities, and even The latest battleground over ment didn’t have the staffing to was responsible for the outcome of D.A.R.E. came to light this fall during maintain a prevention program with a sheriff’s race in Maryland that the campaign for sheriff in St. Mary’s questionable effectiveness. made national headlines last week. County, Md., a fast-growing commu­ “We’ve got this situation where The program has strong points, but nity with a rising crime problem. the studies say it’s not effective, but schools shouldn’t think it’s the only program of its kind. See story, top of D.A.R.E. became a central campaign everyone still loves it,” Zylak told this page. issue in the county when challenger The Washington Post in the days be­ Tim Cameron criticized incumbent fore the election. In the wake of the mid-term Sheriff David D. Zylak’s decision to Indeed, many academicians and elections, President Bush quietly eliminate the program and pledged leaders in the addiction community nominated Terry L. Cline, Ph.D. to be to restore D.A.R.E. to the county’s el­ consider D.A.R.E. to be one of the the next administrator of SAMHSA. See D.A.R.E. on page 2 Whether confirmation hearings will ementary schools if elected. be held this fall or delayed until the new — and Democrat — Congress SAMHSA administrator nominated: comes in in January is unclear. But the field cautiously approves of Cline from Oklahoma Cline, noting that his background is Strong mental health the field who know him, but there’s heavy on mental health and light on background some anxiety that substance abuse substance abuse. See story, bottom of Terry L. Cline, Ph.D., the Oklahoma might be given short shrift within this page. Secretary of Health as well as Com­ SAMHSA compared to mental missioner of the Oklahoma Depart­ health. In Oklahoma in particular, Inside this issue… ment of Mental Health and Sub­ there is some concern that mental stance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS), health counselors may end up being Insurance company to conduct ‘commercial evaluation’ of Prometa; Tmay be the next administrator of the only ones who can meet the Payment contingent upon outcome. the Substance Abuse and Mental state’s new licensure requirements. See page 4. Health Services Administration “Personally, I think highly of (SAMHSA). President Bush nomi­ him,” said Brent Katigan, program CSAT corrects methadone dosage nated Cline on November 9, the director of Valley Hope Association error for babies in TIP. See page 4. day before the Veteran’s Day holi­ outpatient programs in Oklahoma St. Christopher’s Inn counselor day and just after the Democrats City, Tulsa, and Wichita (Kan.) among the first to be certified as a won the majority in Congress. “But he was born and raised men­ NIATx Change Leader. See page 5. Not well known to the addiction tal health. I have a little concern treatment field outside of his home about that.” © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. state of Oklahoma, Cline’s back­ Valley Hope, a private not-for­ Published online in Wiley InterScience ground is in mental health. Overall, profit multi-state provider, has insu- (www.wileyinterscience.com) DOI: 10.1002/adaw.20067 he receives high marks from those in See Cline on page 6 A Wiley Periodicals, Inc. publication www.interscience.wiley.com 2 Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly November 20, 2006 D.A.R.E. from page 1 ing an environment conducive to day get in the way of making com­ weakest options for school systems learning and positive accomplish­ pletely objective decisions about to embrace on a purely evidence-fo­ ment among students. prevention strategies, Watts Davis cused basis. “The shame with “What D.A.R.E. brought to these said. “The federal government has D.A.R.E. is there has never been a communities was some sense of to recognize this; it’s what I call the published scientific article that has order in the classroom that allowed ‘reality factor,’” she said. demonstrated its effectiveness,” young people to learn,” Watts Davis In response to the limitations David J. Hanson, professor emeritus said. Asked if that was a legitimate school systems and communities at the State University of New York at enough reason to use the controver­ face, CSAP’s parent agency, the Sub­ Potsdam and frequent critic of a va­ sial program, she replied, “It’s legit­ stance Abuse and Mental Health riety of conventional approaches in imate enough for that community.” Services Administration (SAMHSA), addiction services, told ADAW. “It’s has begun acquiring planning tools really not even a debatable matter.” Schools’ analysis and making them available in the Yet while many might criticize Watts Davis, who before joining public domain. Last month SAMHSA policy-makers’ decision to continue SAMHSA directed a community anti­ announced the availability of Com­ to embrace D.A.R.E. (the Post re­ drug coalition in San Antonio, munities That Care, a prevention ported that only three Maryland Texas, believes communities and planning system that previously had counties do not use the police-run school districts often ask the wrong been owned by a private provider program in their elementary questions about prevention strate­ (see ADAW, Oct. 30). schools), others counter that gies and don’t do an effective job Watts Davis said she would like D.A.R.E.’s opponents use incom­ matching approaches to their dis­ to see the federal government take plete analyses and subject the pro­ tinct problems. ownership of more of these tools gram to expectations that no pre­ “The most important thing a for communities so that they can be vention effort could meet. school district should do is take a more widely used free of charge. Even at the highest level of the look at what the [local] data tells it,” Watts Davis believes it is cer­ national prevention infrastructure, Watts Davis said. Too often a dis­ tainly important for communities to there are voices that insist that a com­ trict, for example, will see that consider evidence-based approach­ prehensive approach to prevention drunk-driving episodes involving es to prevention, but warns that the in local communities can and should new teen drivers have become a evidence is found in more places include efforts such as D.A.R.E. prevalent problem, but then will than just with researchers on whom “Not a single program can do turn its attention to implementing a million-dollar grants are bestowed. what needs to be done by itself; not mentoring program for elementary She consistently says to local lead­ one,” Beverly Watts Davis, director school students instead of tackling ers, “Do not devalue your ability to of the federal Center for Substance the documented problem head on, come up with evidence-based prac­ Abuse Prevention (CSAP), told she said. tices,” adding, “Local people solve ADAW. Watts Davis added that in Often this occurs because fac­ local problems best.” some high-crime communities, tors such as program costs and And she says that when commu­ D.A.R.E. has been essential to creat­ scheduling constraints in the school nities are looking at what the evi- Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly (Print ISSN 1042-1394; Online ISSN 1556­ 7591) is an independent newsletter meeting the information needs of all alcoholism and drug abuse professionals, providing timely reports on na­ tional trends and developments in funding, policy, prevention, treatment and research in alcohol and drug abuse, and also covering issues on certi­ fication, reimbursement and other news of importance to public, private Executive Editor: Karienne Stovell nonprofit and for-profit treatment agencies. Published every week except for the first Monday in July, the first Monday in September, the last Mon­ Editor: Alison Knopf day in November and the last Monday in December. 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