Common Sense for Drug Policy Presents: Modifications To The D.A.R.E. Drug Prevention Program

Drug abuse resistance education, or D.A.R.E., has yet to be shown as an effective school-based drug prevention program. However, in 2001 the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation invested $13.7 million to revamp the agenda. Numerous aspects of the D.A.R.E. program have been shown to be faulty, but revitalization efforts and further instatement of D.A.R.E. is potentially underway.

According to the Birmingham News March 2, 2008 article, ("DARE Redefines Role In Fight Against Drugs")'The just-say-no message has been transformed into a more realistic just-make-the-right-decision message. Taught by uniformed officers, the national DARE program marks its 25th anniversary this year and is going through a makeover. The changes come after studies showed that DARE failed to change students' attitudes about drugs and alcohol. Some critics even said the program encouraged drug use, a kind of 'forbidden fruit syndrome.' It was disappointing news, considering the government had spent billions of dollars on the program."

The article adds, "DARE was popular but ineffective,' said Chris Ringwalt, a senior scientist at the Chapel Hill Center of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation. Ringwalt sits on a scientific committee that has been involved in redesigning the DARE curriculum so it is based upon proven approaches. Much of the new curriculum has been implemented, and preliminary studies are positive. But only time will tell whether it really works. In addition to a crisis of confidence, DARE in recent years has faced a money crisis. John Lindsey, a regional director for DARE America, said the federal government has cut funding to the program by 80 percent over the past four years. Before the cuts, the federal government at times spent more than $500 million a year on DARE, and states kicked in money,too."

The article states, "The new model has been evaluated at the University of Akron, and final results of that study are expected to be announced in coming months. Lindsey said DARE is now interactive and fast-paced.'No longer can we show kids a drug board and say, 'Take a puff of marijuana, and you're going to die.' Lindsey said. 'Kids are much smarter these days. You've got to show them the health effects and the impact on their body from illegal drugs and from smoking.' In addition to revamping its core curriculum, DARE has also developed supplemental lessons that allow the program to be customized. These lessons focus on things such as bullying, gangs, methamphetamines or prescription drug abuse. DARE officers are now facilitators, a role that hasn't come naturally, Lindsey said. 'It was real tough because cops, myself included as a former cop, we like to come in and take command and speak for an hour and answer a few questions at the end.' Over the past three years DARE has retrained about 20,000 officers. The program has broadened its focus from drugs and is now addressing some of the root causes of drug abuse along with providing security to schools."