Does the D.A.R.E. program in Salt Lake schools reduce long term drug abuse?

Mayor Rocky Anderson says, "No," and effective immediately, has dumped the program that puts police in classrooms for drug education.

The mayor has been talking about this for some time, even before he was elected. But now it's final. Salt Lake City is saying 'No' to the DARE program.

This decision is as politically unpopular as you can get. To eliminate a program that, over 14 years in Salt Lake City, brought police officers, props and pupils together to "Just say no" to drugs.

Leslie Ann Elkins, a fifth grader at Mountain View Elementary says, The D.A.R.E. program probably doesn't help every kid. But it can and does help lots of children and their families."

Utah D.A.R.E. officer Mike Olson says, "It's the kids. That's what it's all about. We're here for the kids."

But Mayor Anderson argues D.A.R.E. is better at public relations than preventing long term drug abuse. At Tuesday night's City Council meeting, he quoted several studies that are highly critical of D.A.R.E.

His decision, he says, is not full of emotion, but based on fact. "I don't think there's any question that D.A.R.E. has been immune somehow from examination. Because the studies over the years have shown that it's not effective."

D.A.R.E. supporters are outraged, not only that the mayor is cutting off D.A.R.E., but at the way he's doing it.

The mayor did present alternative programs he says are proven to work. But none are in place in Salt Lake City.

That leads some parents to present this vexing question to city and school district leaders: "We need to add things for drug prevention in our community, not take things out."

The city spends less than $300,000 a year for D.A.R.E. programs. But Anderson insists his decision is not related to money.

For him, however, it appears cutting D.A.R.E. will come at some political cost.

By the way, this is a decision the mayor can make on his own, because D.A.R.E. is an administrative program.