D.A.R.E.

  
  D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education), is an international nonprofit organization formed in 1983. It administers a school-based substance abuse prevention program, and as of 2008, it has been the most popular drug abuse prevention program in the US.
     Most kids, like myself, has gone through the D.A.R.E. program back in elementary or middle school. The question is, does it work? The purpose of D.A.R.E. is to educate kids about the dangers of drug use, healthy life choices, and smart decisions. At the end of each program, everyone gets a card stating they are a D.A.R.E. graduate and will stay off drugs. However, what is the significance of this card now? Do kids even remember what we learned at such a young age? I barely do. MANY people in the program with me has now strayed from the "path of innocence" and have gone and made decisions they probably never thought they would back in 5th grade.
     Critics argue that scientific evidence shows no significant difference between future drug use in kids who have "graduated" from the costly D.A.R.E. program and those who have not. They contend that the program is misleading and can actually increase drug use by students.

In a 2001 report, the Office of the Surgeon General said D.A.R.E. "does not work." [6] On Jan. 15, 2003, the General Accounting Office (GAO) reported D.A.R.E., had no statistically significant long-term effect on preventing youth illicit drug use.?

So what the information being given is basically saying D.A.R.E. is a costly program that does no or little help to keep kids off of drugs in the future, in fact, they are suggesting that it may be encouraging them to try it after learning about them. What is your take on the situation?
The DARE program gives kids the life skills they need to avoid involvement with drugs, gangs, and violence. However, what are the statistics on weather it has any impact on our children and future of our great nation?

DARE is very popular with students, school administrators, police, and the general public. This, in spite of the fact that research over the decades has repeatedly demonstrated that DARE is not only ineffective, but also sometimes counterproductive. That is, students who graduate from DARE are sometimes more likely than others to drink or do drugs.

Unfortunately, many people have a vested interest in seeing DARE continue and expand in spite of its ineffectiveness and even harm to students. About 750 million dollars are spent on the program each year and thousands upon thousands of police officers are assigned to teaching the program. Thus, although DARE is a disaster for students, it is a great success for those profiting from promoting and teaching it.
There is no absolutely justification whatsoever for using the ineffective DARE program when a proven, successful alternative is available. Our young people deserve nothing less.

Although it may cost a lot, I still believe our kids are entitled to have the chance to be educated about these things, to prepare them for their futures and although it is a very costly debt, the youth of America should be educated about these matters.