New D.A.R.E. Program Showing Positive Results!

by John Lindsay – D.A.R.E. America Southeast Regional Director

D.A.R.E. is currently in 75% of school districts nationwide and according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s Monitoring the Future Study teenage drug use continues to fall, decreasing 19% over the last four years. Since 1997 there have been 18 studies conducted on D.A.R.E. showing very positive results.

Of those 18 studies the most eye opening study was published by the Journal of the National Medical Association showing D.A.R.E graduates are five times less likely to begin smoking than non-D.A.R.E. graduates.

Additionally, we have all new curricula for elementary, middle school and high school. They are cutting edge and the newest curricula in the drug prevention field for children.

The University of Akron designed the middle and high school curricula. As a foundation D.A.R.E. curricula utilize the science-based principles of prevention, age appropriate and reading level appropriate material, and all curricula are written by a national panel of curriculum and prevention experts.

Furthermore, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is currently conducting a five-year study involving over 19,000 students from 83 high schools and 122 middle schools.

The study now in its fourth year shows very positive results as more students decided against using drugs, more students found drug use socially inappropriate and believed fewer peers used drugs, fewer students reported intent to use inhalants, and more students learned how to refuse drugs.

A 2005 report from the University of Akron’s principal researcher, Dr. Zili Sloboda, to the Florida Commissioner of Education, (quote by Dr. Sloboda)“Simply put, there is no comparable national prevention delivery network like D.A.R.E. in the United States. The existence of D.A.R.E. is an opportunity to bring the latest in prevention to millions of children and adolescents in both a timely and a quality fashion.”

D.A.R.E. has also put together a Scientific Unit, Educational Unit and Law Enforcement Executive Board to provide us guidance and direction. Our National Conference now has learning tracts for the D.A.R.E. Officer, SRO and Educators.

Our website, www.dare.com, receives over 11 million hits per month, providing valuable information to not just D.A.R.E. officers but anyone seeking reliable and timely information on drug prevention. Other family resources are also available at www.dare.com.