BY TIM SMITH

Drug Abuse Resistance Education, or D.A.R.E., is an American education program founded in 1983 to discourage the use of drugs, membership in gangs, and violent behavior. At the height of its popularity, D.A.R.E. was found in 75% of American school districts. The program consists of police officers who visit elementary school classrooms and educate children that drugs are harmful and should be refused. The program also addresses alcohol and tobacco use.

“Officer Dan” Rittenhouse of the Tipp City Police Department is a certified D.A.R.E. Instructor. He has spent the last 18 years presenting the D.A.R.E. curriculum to all fifth graders in the Tipp City school district. This consists of leading them through a series of classroom lessons that teach them how to resist peer pressure and live productive, drug-free lives.

Officer Rittenhouse will be retiring in September after 33 years of service. In addition to his duties as the D.A.R.E. Officer, he has served as School Resource Officer for the Tipp City elementary schools. “The officer that previously ran the D.A.R.E. program was going to retire, but I had helped him with different school functions, and it kind of grew on me,” Rittenhouse said in a recent interview. “He was really concerned about the program staying active and being stable. It turned out to be the best thing that’s happened to me.”

Rittenhouse admits that connecting with fifth graders can be challenging when competing with social media. “I’m trying to get them to think and make good decisions in life. I repeatedly tell them, ‘If you make good decisions, you’ll have a happy life. If you make bad decisions, you’re going to be miserable.’  Many of these students will remain in Tipp City for the rest of their lives. I’m trying to tempt them into staying good citizens. These kids grow on you. I always interact with them, and they start coming to me if they have problems and issues. I have a trust with them, and I work on that every day.”

Rittenhouse teaches half of the 5th grade classes in the first semester and the other half in the second semester, so he can be at the helm the whole year. A typical D.A.R.E. course has ten lessons, but Rittenhouse increased it to 13 to incorporate some lessons that he devised himself. One of these is an extension of the module on tobacco usage.

“The curriculum says it should last 20 minutes, but I do two full lessons on it,” he said, “because if you start smoking, it’s tough to stop. I actually made a worksheet on how much it costs to smoke, then adjusted it for inflation. Once you start smoking, the cost will go up. We go over all the health effects of smoking. At the end, I’ll ask them to give me one good reason to smoke. Someone will say, ‘It relaxes me.’ I point out that it doesn’t; it’s just the brain telling them it’s relaxing. The way I get them not to start smoking is to make them aware of the health risks and dangers. Hopefully, that and the cost will keep them from starting. I can say that in Tipp City, not many young adults are smoking.”

The D.A.R.E. curriculum also includes lessons about not abusing over-the-counter and prescription medications. Not surprisingly, there is a heavy emphasis on the dangers of street drugs.

“In my last lesson, we talk about cocaine, heroin, and meth grouped together because they’re just terrible,” he said. “They hear people tell them, ‘If you try it just one time, it’ll make all your troubles go away,’ but they’re addicted after that one time. Drug addicts made one bad decision—they said ‘yes’ when they should’ve said ‘no.’ I show them photos of the faces of meth—mug shots taken of people before they took meth, then after they took it for a while. They see the effects that not eating can have because, for many addicts, drugs become more important than food. I lay these out in the cafeteria, and they walk around and look at them. I talk about how the chemicals in meth are very corrosive, that they’ll rot your teeth from the inside out, then I show them some actual photos. Visuals can hit home with a lot of kids. I recently went to a handful of graduation parties, and some kids said, ‘Oh my gosh, I still remember those faces you showed us!’”

 Another role that Officer Rittenhouse gladly took on is School Resource Officer for the elementary schools. “I make sure that the staff and students have a safe environment while they’re at school,” he said. “We’re always on the lookout for things like knives or weapons. Tipp City students are very good at reporting when they see something that’s wrong. Every once in a while, a student will bring in something in their backpack. We talk about that all the time—if you see something, say something. If you hear something, say something. That includes bullying. If you know about it, say something. Go home, tell your parents, and they’ll call the principal so we can deal with it.”

“A third of the people in Tipp City have my cell number, and I’ve gotten calls at two in the morning,” he added. “I’ve had parents come to me and say their child doesn’t want to go to school all of a sudden. I get with the counselor, and we try to figure out what’s wrong. If there are good students suddenly not wanting to go to school, what’s the problem? I want to gain their trust so they can come to me with different issues. If I see someone and know that’s not the way they usually act, I’ll talk with them to find out what’s going on.”

Rittenhouse is going out with an excellent record of public service. In addition to his D.A.R.E. accomplishments, he was named Tipp City’s Officer of the Year in 2022 and Ohio D.A.R.E. Officer of the Year in 2023. He recently acquired ten acres in the country, which he and his wife are gradually transforming into a farm.

“I’ve tried to build a good rapport and trust with the community because that’s our job—to protect, serve, and be helpful. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the last 18 years, but when my police family of 33 years is suddenly gone. It’s going to be an adjustment.”