Petition to restore funding to the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program in Pennsylvania


The Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program is a highly-acclaimed police officer-led series of classroom lessons that teaches children from kindergarten through 12th grade how to resist peer pressure and live productive drug and violence-free lives. But it is more than just drug prevention education. D.A.R.E. teaches students good decision-making skills to help them avoid high-risk behavior to ensure they grow up healthy, safe and secure.

Unfortunately, at the same time the need for the D.A.R.E. program has increased, funding for this program has decreased steadily over the years – between 1999 and 2009, funding for this vital program dropped from $4 million to less than $1 million.

Millions of school children around the world will benefit from D.A.R.E. The program is SO successful it is now in 75 percent of our nation's school districts and in more than 43 countries around the world.

Here in Pennsylvania, more than 860 officers are trained in the D.A.R.E. program – 10 right here in the 31st Legislative District, representing the Newtown Township, Upper Makefield Township and Lower Makefield Township police departments. In the past, the state would reimburse local police departments for the D.A.R.E. program, depending on the size of the community.

However, now without that funding, many police departments are not able to facilitate this vital program for our young people.

Sign YOUR name to this petition today to restore funding for this important program in Pennsylvania!