Dare Blamed For Promoting Drugs Drug Education Consultant Says Program Encourages Kids To Use Drugs
A former drug-education consultant apologized to a Spokane audience Wednesday for his work years ago encouraging programs like DARE.
“Don’t let this continue,” said William Coulson. “It could spell the end of our civilization.”
Coulson told a crowd of more than 200 at First Church of the Open Bible on North Division that DARE and sex-education programs don’t work - and actually encourages immoral behavior in teenagers.
Instead of flat-out telling kids that drug use is wrong, he claims schools are “saying it’s a choice”
“I give the DARE organizers and officers credit for great motives,” Coulson said. “But the program doesn’t work.”
Two DARE officers who attended Coulson’s speech strongly disagreed.
“We never present drugs as a choice,” said Sheriff’s Deputy Dan Blashill, who teaches DARE in Mead schools. “We tell them we can’t make the decision for you. We also tell them that, ‘personally, I’d say no.”’
“We reinforce the values kids learn at home,” said Deputy Chuck Raschko, a DARE officer in Central Valley schools.
While Coulson said some studies show DARE doesn’t work, the sheriff’s deputies point to research touting the program’s effectiveness.
The sheriff’s department maintains a DARE program, despite budget concerns.
The city’s program was eliminated last month in a cost-cutting move. It will be phased out by June 30 and replaced with a program that uses police officers in the classroom on a less frequent basis.
Coulson, a California psychologist, is a guest lecturer at the University of San Diego. He lectures throughout the country.
He served as a member of the Technical Advisory Panel on Drug Education Curricula for the U.S. Department of Education during the Reagan administration.
Coulson has also edited several books on humanistic education, a philosophy he has since rejected.
He advocated decision-making education for children in the ‘60s and ‘70s but now believes it’s a failure.
Problems with public education in America aren’t limited to these programs, he said.
Schools are losing focus on academic standards by letting basic literacy slide, according to Coulson.
He said schools are no longer strongly emphasizing deadlines, spelling, and test taking.
“If you can’t afford a good religious Christian school, take them out and home-school them,” he said.
One woman said “Amen.”
Children need to be held to the academic standards of previous generations so they can be better off than their parents, he said.
“For my part in making this happen, I do apologize.”
The crowd rose to its feet and applauded.
, DataTimes