N.J. D.A.R.E. program to introduce 7 new board members

Somerset County Acting Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson is committed to revitalizing the county's D.A.R.E. program.

New Jersey's Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program, which has suffered from neglect and a lack of funding in recent years, will introduce seven new board members and 24 new D.A.R.E. Officers on Friday at 11 a.m. at Saint Dominic Catholic School in Brick Township, it was announced in a news release Wednesday.

Somerset County Acting Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson has said that revitalizing the D.A.R.E. program is a top priority for his office in the fight against drugs. To that end, Retired Somerset County Prosecutor's Office Capt. Jack Bennett is among the new board members.

The other new board members include:

• Ocean County Sheriff Michael Mastronardy
• Retired Brick Township Chief Rick Bergquist
• Retired New Jersey Superintendent John Gluck
• Bergenfield Public Schools District Emergency Management Specialist Carl Mittelhammer
• Michael Palumbo, a certified public accountant
• Park Ridge Police Captain Joseph Rampolla
• John L. Malone, a field representative for U.S. Rep. Leonard Lance (R-7th)

The introduction of the new board takes place at the graduation of 24 new D.A.R.E. Officers who have been specially trained in the keepin' it REAL (kiR) curricula, a state-of-the-art program developed through an alliance with Penn State University and Arizona State University with support from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, according to the release.

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For more than three decades, the D.A.R.E. program has been present in many New Jersey schools, helping thousands of students understand the dangers of drug use. The science and evidence-based substance abuse prevention education curricula teaches students decision making skills that helps them lead safe and healthy lives, according to the release.

The new D.A.R.E. Officers will join the more than 200 other New Jersey D.A.R.E Officers trained in various D.A.R.E. curricula in just the two past years, the release said. They will be welcomed by six grade students from St. Dominic School, who will graduate from the D.A.R.E. program at the end of the month, the release said.

Launched in 1983, D.A.R.E. is a comprehensive kindergarten through 12th grade education program taught not only in New Jersey, but also in thousands of schools throughout America, as well as in 52 other countries, the release said.

• 32- to 44-percent reduction in marijuana, tobacco, and alcohol use
• 30- to 38-percent increase in knowledge about and negative attitudes towards drug use
• 29- to 34-percent decrease in intent to accept offers to use substances

For more information, visit www.dare.org.