Just say no to DARE's demise

It was withgreat sadness and disbelief that many of the fifthgrade parents learned that the DARE Program will no longer continue for Moorpark Unified School District. The city says that our children are not worth the money to educate them about drugs, alcohol and tobacco. They also learn in the program to make the right choices and stay away from those who do not make those choices.

We as a community need to contact the Moorpark City Council and speak up on behalf of our children and community. The kids that go through this amazing program learn more than the basic "just say no." They learn how to protect themselves as well as their friends from the temptations that are out there every day. They learn to become responsible citizens, and they take those lessons with them.

Dep. Lohman has taught hundreds of our children that their lives and their choices are in their hands. He has done an outstanding job, as well as all the other DARE officers that have taught this program. Why would we not support this program and the proven effectiveness of it? Do we want our children to be armed with correct information about harmful substances and the laws that surround them? Or do we want to pay for rehab and jail time down the line because they were not educated to make the right decision?

DARE is not a fix-all, but it is a tool that our children need. Please contact the city as soon as possible and lend your voice and support to keeping the DARE Program alive and well in our schools.
Lisa Padilla
Moorpark