By BOB SHRALUKA
WZBD.com
A revamped DARE anti-drug program is returning to North Adams Schools.
Decatur police officer Zach Hess will head the program slated to begin with the 2025-26 school year.
With effectiveness unproven, many schools, including North Adams, dropped the program in the early 2000s. Now, though, a program has been developed that demonstrates effectiveness so North Adams is reviving the program, according to Superintendent Kim Hiatt.
“As our communities see more young lives impacted by substance abuse and other behaviors that risk well-being and safety, North Adams Community Schools administration has been looking to provide our students not only the scientific information about the mental and physical health outcomes of substance abuse, but also evidence-based strategies for how to avoid using in the first place,” she told WZBD.com
“Arming our youth with this information and these skills when they are young, we hope, will divert more youth from the path of addiction while also providing support and hope for those young people who love someone struggling with addiction.”
The DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program was chosen, in part, due to its familiarity, Hiatt said. “Many adults grew up with DARE and have memories of a police officer coming to their classes and talking about safety and prevention.
“We also wanted a program with proven outcomes.”
Hiatt said early DARE curricula showed students learned correct information about substance abuse, but that information did not necessarily bring about long-term changes in behavior. Which led many schools to drop the program.
“Unfortunately,” she said, “there was not anything of better quality created to take its place, leading to a gap in the formal education of and advocacy for healthy choices with our younger students.”
However, led by prevention scientists from Penn State and Arizona universities in 2007, a new DARE curricula, “Keepin’ it REAL,” was developed. According to Hiatt, the National Institute of Health’s National Library of Medicine has deemed the new program as evidence-based to deter the onset of substance abuse.
“So, when the Adams County Opioid Settlement Board offered grants for community organizations to start or continue different strategies to prevent or support recovery from substance abuse, North Adams knew then was the time to add something that would impact choices of the youth in our community,” the superintendent said. “In looking at various evidence-based programs, DARE. became an immediate interest to resurrect.
“Having a supportive relationship with the Decatur Police Department, we immediately talked to Chief Kevin Gerber who was on-board with anything to help our students be safe and make good choices.”
The superintendent added: “We wish to thank the Adams County Opioid Settlement Board as well as the Decatur Police Department for their support of this program and for investing in the youth of our community.”
