Thoughts on DARE program

[JLTraveling]

My cousin says that the kids who are into drugs in her high school like to party wearing their DARE t-shirts, which they say stand for "Drugs Are Really Excellent."

Every independent (non-DARE funded) study that has looked at the outcomes of the program has come to the same conclusion that your dds have anecdotally observed. DARE does nothing to keep kids from taking drugs. There is an increase in anti-drug attitudes shortly after the indoctrination, but it doesn't translate into behavior.

Yep. I still remember a friend showing up at a party wearing a DARE shirt, with a beer in one hand and a joint in the other. We were about 15, and everybody thought it was hilarious.

Meh...I think DARE works just about as well as Nancy Reagan's "Just Say No." Kids who want to party will party, kids who don't, won't. It's not like there's any shortage of information about the dangers of drugs. Then again, I'm not a big proponent of the War on Drugs, so I may not be the best person to give an opinion here.

 

[Poohforyou]

What seventh graders do you know who are doing drugs? I'm asking sincerely. Even I, who have grown up with some pretty bad kids, only knew one or two kids who had gotten involved with drugs in middle school- and that was because they had older brothers or sisters in high school.

Drugs weren't a huge deal until high school, and even then, I noticed in more in the older years. I don't spend a lot of time with middle schoolers anymore but it strikes me as hard to believe that they're already avidly into drugs at seventh grade.

IMO the vast majority of 7th graders aren't doing drugs but they do think they're too cool to learn about things like DARE. In 5th grade they're still in elementary school so it's a different mindset and I think they're more accepting of this type of program.

As far as forgetting what was taught in DARE, I know our middle school health program touches upon the DARE concepts each year. I don't know what our HS does.

Whether people think DARE is worth it or not I don't know how anyone can believe that being exposed to it made a kid start doing drugs. That kid was at risk already.

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

DD was her sixth grade DARE essay winner. Her essay was about what she wanted to do with her life and how she knew that drugs would prevent her from achieving her goals. Somewhere, I have a copy of it. It was not about DARE per se.

She got to read her essay to the parents and other students at the end of the year program and she got a medal. It seemed like a worthwhile project. Of course this was a few years back.

My DD was the essay winner too earlier this year. She also read her report back to the class and it wasn't a DARE advertisement. She got a very nice jacket!!!

In our town, you cannot opt out of the program. They use it to meet their health requirement.

 

[disneyismyname]

DD just had to write her DARE report and as I was checking it (and the outline they were given to write about), it really seemed like they were asked to write a testimonial for DARE. Of course, I have no problem with this program - even though some people question the effectiveness - but that was kind of a turn off for me. Anyone else have thoughts as I know very little about this.

I was in DARE during Elementary, which was ages ago. I think I was the only one that actually listened.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

What seventh graders do you know who are doing drugs? I'm asking sincerely. Even I, who have grown up with some pretty bad kids, only knew one or two kids who had gotten involved with drugs in middle school- and that was because they had older brothers or sisters in high school.

Drugs weren't a huge deal until high school, and even then, I noticed in more in the older years. I don't spend a lot of time with middle schoolers anymore but it strikes me as hard to believe that they're already avidly into drugs at seventh grade.

It depends on the area and the kids' circumstances. If your parents are drug dealers or do drugs and drugs are openly consumed in your neighborhood, on your street, in your house, then of course, you'll have knowledge and experience with drugs earlier (likely much earlier) than kids who come from the type of people who post on Disney Boards.

Probably a quarter or more of my dd's school. They start doing drugs in 5th grade here.

Part of living in Missouri is a lot of drug use from trailers to the wealthy.

 

[grumpeeduck]

My cousin's daughter went through a militant anti-alcohol phase after DARE. It was kind of annoying; if we were all out to eat and the adults ordered wine, she'd try to make us feel guilty about it. Nothing like a sanctimonious 10 year old to ruin a nice meal!

Good for her! It is sad when the 10 year old has to set the example.........
We set the good example FOR our children.

 

[golfgal]

I'm going to openly come out and say that the neighborhood I grew up in, while it isn't the worst, it is pretty bad when it comes to what I imagine other posters are used to (gunshots, break-ins, there's a meeting place down the street for drug deals.)

I was fourteen when I was walking down the street and an adult approached me asking if I wanted to buy weed for the first time. Let's just say that if I ever wanted to buy drugs, it was readily available. That being said, I maintain my original position that I only knew one or two kids in middle school who were doing it and even they were influenced by older siblings.

Like I said, there are worse areas than in my neighborhood in which younger kids are probably definitely doing it. But in my experience (and my neighborhood was pretty bad) it still wasn't happening that early.

I agree that the drug use at the middle school level is blown out of proportion but it does happen. Is DARE effective, probably not, but it at least raises awareness because in many homes kids are not taught how to say no. Kids will do what their friends do and raising your kids to pick good friends and to be self confident enough to SAY NO, is really the best thing for kids. If nothing else, kids got to see a police officer in a good light and just maybe that will make a difference down the road for someone. If nothing else, our kids got a free t-shirt out of the deal.

 

[Pigeon]

If nothing else, our kids got a free t-shirt out of the deal.

This is a line of thinking I don't understand.

If nothing else, there is the opportunity cost associated with squandering hours of contact time on a program that has been demonstrated time and time again to be totally ineffective. If nothing else, the kids could actually be spending those hours learning math, science, reading, social studies, etc.

If nothing else, financially strapped communities get to waste money paying for a police officer to teach a program that has been demonstrated time and time again to not keep them from getting involved with drugs. At the same time, the schools must pay the salaries of certified teachers to sit in the classrooms and not teach while the DARE program is carried out.

Keep the t-shirts, please. If we had a math program that didn't teach our kids math, but generated warm fuzzy feelings about math teachers (and maybe provided a t-shirt) would you really think it was worth spending many hours of contact time on?

The "this is worth it if it keeps one kid off drugs" mentality likewise is magical thinking. The evidence is that it doesn't keep one kid off drugs. If you have a cohort of kids, the kids who have gone through DARE are no more likely to keep off drugs than the kids who have not.

In fact, for certain groups of kids, they are more likely to do certain drugs. Hypotheses about why that is abound. What makes sense to me is the absolute black and white nature of DARE is pretty transparent to kids.

Like a pp, a couple of my neices who went through DARE became hypersensitive to all "drug" use by the adults around them. My sister had to listen to daily lectures from her fifth grader about having a cup of coffee in the morning or a glass of wine with dinner.

Other kids see that much of what they are told in DARE is patent nonsense. They know kids who smoke pot, for example. These kids don't necessarily get caught up in a whirlwind of reefer madness. In fact, most of them are pretty average teenagers who smoke pot a bit. They don't start injecting heroin or doing meth. Similarly, their parents who have a beer while watching the game aren't losing their homes to their crack cocaine habit. So the kids wonder, if DARE is telling them lies about pot, what else are they lying about? Now, I'm not in favor of kids smoking pot, but the "reefer madness" approach has been demonstrated not to work.

This is a period in education where there is great emphasis on following "evidence based practices." But for DARE, we are willing to block our ears and hum loudly because there's a t-shirt in it.

 

[Pigeon]

My DD was the essay winner too earlier this year. She also read her report back to the class and it wasn't a DARE advertisement. She got a very nice jacket!!!

In our town, you cannot opt out of the program. They use it to meet their health requirement.

You may not be offered the chance to opt out of DARE. DARE will not advertise the opt out and neither may the school. But you absolutely can. 20 USC 1232h, 34 CFR 98. Our principal contacted the district lawyer when we presented her with the information and we had no problem. In fact, DARE is often in violation of the law in that they are supposed to get your permission, but they don't. We've opted out of many things the public schools like to present as mandatory, but in fact, are not.

 

[golfgal]

This is a line of thinking I don't understand.

If nothing else, there is the opportunity cost associated with squandering hours of contact time on a program that has been demonstrated time and time again to be totally ineffective. If nothing else, the kids could actually be spending those hours learning math, science, reading, social studies, etc.

If nothing else, financially strapped communities get to waste money paying for a police officer to teach a program that has been demonstrated time and time again to not keep them from getting involved with drugs. At the same time, the schools must pay the salaries of certified teachers to sit in the classrooms and not teach while the DARE program is carried out.

Keep the t-shirts, please. If we had a math program that didn't teach our kids math, but generated warm fuzzy feelings about math teachers (and maybe provided a t-shirt) would you really think it was worth spending many hours of contact time on?

The "this is worth it if it keeps one kid off drugs" mentality likewise is magical thinking. The evidence is that it doesn't keep one kid off drugs. If you have a cohort of kids, the kids who have gone through DARE are no more likely to keep off drugs than the kids who have not.

In fact, for certain groups of kids, they are more likely to do certain drugs. Hypotheses about why that is abound. What makes sense to me is the absolute black and white nature of DARE is pretty transparent to kids.

Like a pp, a couple of my neices who went through DARE became hypersensitive to all "drug" use by the adults around them. My sister had to listen to daily lectures from her fifth grader about having a cup of coffee in the morning or a glass of wine with dinner.

Other kids see that much of what they are told in DARE is patent nonsense. They know kids who smoke pot, for example. These kids don't necessarily get caught up in a whirlwind of reefer madness. In fact, most of them are pretty average teenagers who smoke pot a bit. They don't start injecting heroin or doing meth. Similarly, their parents who have a beer while watching the game aren't losing their homes to their crack cocaine habit. So the kids wonder, if DARE is telling them lies about pot, what else are they lying about? Now, I'm not in favor of kids smoking pot, but the "reefer madness" approach has been demonstrated not to work.

This is a period in education where there is great emphasis on following "evidence based practices." But for DARE, we are willing to block our ears and hum loudly because there's a t-shirt in it.

Our kids did DARE, the program was funded through donations (private school). It took up an hour/week for a few weeks out of the school year. They missed NOTHING by doing that and I can hold up the test scores for this school (100% passing state standard testing year after year-along with the kids all being in the top 10% of their graduating class and all going on to very good colleges). Sometimes things in school are just fun or extra. Not everything has to be about math and science. They had a track and field day every year. The kids loved it. Was there any educational value to that, nope, it was just a fun day at school.

 

[snarlingcoyote]

Hmm. . .I don't want to sound snarky here. So no editorial comments.

I taught kids whose parents worked in the illicit drug industry in various positions. Those kids couldn't remember a time when drugs weren't around. They knew how to make it, how to sell it, how to distribute it. Some of them, by the time they reached high school were already obviously messed up from drug use - whether their own or from inhaling parental fumes or if it started in the womb, I have no idea. But the other kids learned about drugs from those kids. I'd say start those kids at kindergarten instead of pretending it's not happening.

One of college BFFs grew up in a small community predominantly settled by hippie types. The "official" main source of revenue for the county was tourism - and they had a good bit of this in the summer - but the "real" source of revenue was Mary J. (I can't spell the real word, not trying to be cute.) This friend couldn't remember the first time she was offered free weed, and spent most of her upper middle elementary thru high school stoned.

Some of our communities in America, poor and middle class are infused with drugs. Some aren't. And some where people would think they're safe based on their own experiences aren't quite so safe. About a year ago the police raided a nice house one housing development over from ours. It was a full fledeged meth house and distributorship. My DH works with someone who lived near this house, he said they knew something was going on but kept it from their kids, including the teens, who were completely oblivious.

 

[dakcp2001]

The city I grew up in had rampant 7th grade drug use. Kids were already having sex in 7th grade as well. I grew up in an inner city school system and I would NEVER send my kids to the schools I went to. Kids are shooting and stabbing each other in junior high. I knew a lot of kids who dropped out before high school. One of my friends from elementary school was in rehab by 8th grade. Junior high kids use different drugs too, inhaled things like whip its and prescription pills they steal from their family. Kids would drink robitussin. And I imagine it is only worse now than it was way back then. I can't imagine it got better.

 

[NaLisa]

Good for her! It is sad when the 10 year old has to set the example.........
We set the good example FOR our children.

We set a good example for our children by demonstrating responsible use of alcohol. We also discuss the many problems and risks associated with alcohol abuse. Drinking a glass of wine at dinner in the presence of a 10-year-old does not equal setting a bad example.

 

[LIDisneyFan]

Some of our communities in America, poor and middle class are infused with drugs. Some aren't. .

Where I live, it is the more affulent kids who are doing drugs early on. I hear about it from my kids and their friends. Both of my kids still (even older) seem very anti-drug (of course, you never REALLY know, but I do believe them). The private schools are known to be the worst.

Sex and drugs in middle school is way more common than you think.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Both my kids did their essay and I had no problems with it. They knew before DARE that drugs were bad, but I didn't see anyone wrong with it.

 

[undertheradar]

DARE was terminated here 4 years ago. The funds and resources that were being used are now our school resource officers from our county sheriffs office. As for where drug use can happen, anywhere you have humans. We are in an area with ample disposable income and the drug and alcohol use exists in the middle schools. My daughter's high school is surveying parents this week about starting a "random, voluntary" drug testing program. Major problem with the proposal is that any parent can use the "opt out" feature, and there are no penalties for positive tests. The same parents whose kids are out drinking and doing drugs in junior high school are the same parents who will opt out of the test pool. Looks like a waste of money, time and effort if you allow the opt outs. I can understand the non-penalty aspect, allowing for conversation between the school principal and the student and parents of a student who receives a multi-tested positive result, just can't understand the validity of the opt out feature.

 

[kamik86]

I think if your going to start DARE that young at least dont' get rid of it later. DARE was only done in elementary school and maybe 6th grade... 7th Grade is when I first started hearing about my peers doing drugs.

The most effective thing I ever saw along these lines was a presentation against drunk driving by a firefighter. He told a few stories some with picture and then we went out to the parking lot where they had a mock crash set up It was run by SADD and some of our friends were in it. So we saw friends pulled out of a wrecked car, put in an ambulance, some helicoptered out... Yeah they were back in class with us the next day but it was still kind of freaky to see that.

I must say after that I knew MANY people who were drunk in Junior or Senior years but very few that were dumb enough to drive that way.

 

[kamik86]

DARE was terminated here 4 years ago. The funds and resources that were being used are now our school resource officers from our county sheriffs office. As for where drug use can happen, anywhere you have humans. We are in an area with ample disposable income and the drug and alcohol use exists in the middle schools. My daughter's high school is surveying parents this week about starting a "random, voluntary" drug testing program. Major problem with the proposal is that any parent can use the "opt out" feature, and there are no penalties for positive tests. The same parents whose kids are out drinking and doing drugs in junior high school are the same parents who will opt out of the test pool. Looks like a waste of money, time and effort if you allow the opt outs. I can understand the non-penalty aspect, allowing for conversation between the school principal and the student and parents of a student who receives a multi-tested positive result, just can't understand the validity of the opt out feature.

Well I don't think legally a school can just do random testing. Work can because you agreed to go to work. Since you legally must stay in school until 16 they can't do drug testing without consent.

I do agree that MANY kids wont be found out doing this, my DH probably would have been opted out. He is 27 and drank WAY more before he turned 21 then he has after. His father was an alcoholic and they let him drink. By the time he turned 21 he realized it was stupid that he didn't want to be like his father and now that he can just go out and buy it he needs to be really careful so he rarely drinks now.

However the kids whose parents are just in denial may be caught. I had a few friends like this, where there fathers would have cared and cared a lot but Mom who they lived with was too busy with her BF to notice. Since she would be too busy to opt my friend out and the father wouldn't do it she may have been caught (or stopped drinking, either way still a plus).

 

[princesshannahsmom]

Good for her! It is sad when the 10 year old has to set the example.........
We set the good example FOR our children.

And your serious too aren't you? A glass of wine for pete's sake. It is also ones job as a parent to teach the difference between an alchoholic and someone who enjoys a nice glass of wine with dinner. Moderation is another key teaching tidbit.

And just for informational purposes, DH and I don't even drink alcohol.

 

[Pigeon]

DARE was terminated here 4 years ago. The funds and resources that were being used are now our school resource officers from our county sheriffs office. As for where drug use can happen, anywhere you have humans. We are in an area with ample disposable income and the drug and alcohol use exists in the middle schools. My daughter's high school is surveying parents this week about starting a "random, voluntary" drug testing program. Major problem with the proposal is that any parent can use the "opt out" feature, and there are no penalties for positive tests. The same parents whose kids are out drinking and doing drugs in junior high school are the same parents who will opt out of the test pool. Looks like a waste of money, time and effort if you allow the opt outs. I can understand the non-penalty aspect, allowing for conversation between the school principal and the student and parents of a student who receives a multi-tested positive result, just can't understand the validity of the opt out feature.

I'd opt my kids out in a heartbeat. I don't drink or do drugs at all, dh has a beer once a week and my kids aren't doing drugs, either. But in no way is it the role of the public school to be forcing kids to take random drug tests. And drug testing is expensive. I'd be livid if our district was laying off teachers and spending money on random drug tests for children.