Increased Drug Use
When D.A.R.E. was first implemented, it seemed like it would be a successful program to keep kids away from drugs.The D.A.R.E trend spread fast throughout schools in the United States as the main drug information program to kids in schools. While D.A.R.E. was making a widespread, so was the research on its usefulness. One research team spent its time doing a 6-year peer-reviewed survey aiming to see where kids stood after participating in the D.A.R.E. program. The results concluded that "D.A.R.E. students had a 5% percent increase in drug use than students who did not participate in the program" (Rosenbaum 11)
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Several studies point in the complete opposite direction of D.A.R.E. being a useful tool in drug prevention. A 2004 meta-analysis of peer-reviewed studies showed “D.A.R.E. is ineffective at preventing drug use in students and D.A.R.E. graduates are indistinguishable from students who do not participate in the program” (West 36). Another study completed the the United States Department of Justice concluded that D.A.R.E. has “small effects on drug use and is significantly less successful at preventing drug use than other programs” (Ringwalt 32). |
Doesn't Prevent Drug Use |
It Does Prevent Drug Use |
While D.A.R.E. does have flaws, it does have some positives it brings to the table. A study was conducted by the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The results from the study concluded that “participants in the D.A.R.E. program report lower alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use than students who did not receive the program” (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 29). Another result they found in the study done is that “40% of participants who used alcohol at the beginning of the program reported reductions in alcohol use after receiving the curriculum, and 32% reported discontinuation of alcohol use altogether” (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 29). . |
Another benefit of having D.A.R.E.being taught to children is that the program helps student in decision-making and attitudes towards drug abuse. Some peer-reviewed studies show that “D.A.R.E. has beneficial effects on student knowledge of drugs, attitudes about drug use, social skills, decision-making skills, attitudes toward the police, and normative beliefs about the prevalence of drug use by peers” (Birkeland Graham Weiss 10). Another study was conducted in 2002 at the University of Akron. The study concluded that “overall decision-making skills for D.A.R.E. graduates were 6% higher than for students that did not enroll or graduate, including those that received other forms of prevention education” (Study Shows New D.A.R.E Program Helps Youths Decide against Using Drugs 8). |
Decision-Making Skills are Higher |