Katherine Kersten

Katherine Kersten, a staff writer for the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune,maintains in the following viewpoint that Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE), a nationwide drug education program, has done nothing to decrease teenage drug use. In fact, contends Kersten, some studies show that DARE students are more likely than others to use drugs.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. Why is DARE ineffective, according to the author’s son?
2. According to Kersten, what did the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office conclude about the effectiveness of the DARE program?
3. What is the most effective deterrent against teenage drug and alcohol abuse, in Kersten’s opinion"

For years, I’d seen the eye-catching, red-and-black bumper stickers: “D.A.R.E. to Keep Kids Off Drugs.” I...