“End the D.A.R.E. Dynasty” by Sarah Collins exposes the failures of the D.A.R.E. program and encourages people to stand up to improve their government. D.A.R.E. is supposed to be one of the foremost combatants of the greatest cause of death in America each year: drug and alcohol addiction. However, as Sarah points out, the program does little to prevent drug use and alcohol consumption, sometimes even accomplishing the opposite.

I agree that D.A.R.E. desperately needs to be overhauled or replaced. Our government spends $1.3 billion a year supporting it, and considering the current economic ­crisis, we cannot afford to squander these significant sums. I thank Sarah for drawing attention to this issue for me and fellow Teen Ink readers. Restructuring this program could not only help prevent thousands of needless deaths, but it could also serve as an example of the government and the public working together to benefit everyone.

This article is an excellent example of what being proactive is all about. By writing it, Sarah has motivated others to improve society. One day soon we may dare to reform D.A.R.E.