BATAVIA — The state has kicked in about $450,000 to help area law enforcement agencies pay for their Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) programs.

        The grants provide matching money to pay up to half of the base salaries of certified DARE officers teaching approved DARE curriculum to Ohio students.

        The money comes from license reinstatement fees imposed by Ohio's drunk-driving law. More than $3 million in grants was given to help pay for DARE programs in 73 of Ohio's 88 counties this school year.

        An $11,266 grant helps Miami Township, Clermont County, cover about 16 percent of the $70,000 cost of its DARE program. The township has one full-time DARE officer. In Union Township, a $10,598 grant will cover 17 percent of the roughly $60,000 cost. It also has one full-time DARE officer.

        The program is solidly entrenched in Clermont.

        “The only way it would go away in Clermont County is if the schools don't want it,” Sheriff A.J. Rodenberg said. “I can't see it becoming a financial thing.”

        The Clermont County Sheriff's office spends about $55,000 on its full-time DARE officer. Its grant — $11,067 — covers about 20 percent of the cost.

        The DARE program, which targets primarily fifth- and sixth-graders, is designed to help students understand the consequences of abusing drugs and alcohol by emphasizing self-esteem and resisting peer pressure.

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