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DARE is a program established in schools to help combat drug use in both elementary, middle, and high school students. The program was established in the US as a way to reduce drug abuse as well as reduce violence and gang-associated effects in over 52 countries.
Before introducing the program in your school, consider the following pros and cons to determine its worthiness.
Pros:
1. Prevent drug use: Introducing the program in schools helps to prevent drug use and substance abuse among the youth especially in elementary, middle, and high school students.
2. Improves decision-making on drug use: The program creates awareness to students in schools and this makes them change their decisions and attitude towards drug use. Decision-making skills are high in those who participate in the interactive program than those who don’t.
3. Improved relationship: It helps to improve the relationship between the police officers and the students. This helps create rapport and respect for police officers.
4. Acceptance: The DARE program has been positively accepted by both parents, community, and students. This is because they believe the program contributes to the future decision-making of the students.
5. Helps resist peer pressure: Dare program is aimed at educating kids all over the world on how to resist peer pressure and live a productive drug-free life.
6. Unparalleled delivery system: The program provides information on how to live a drug-free life. It also utilizes law enforcement instructors who have played a great role on the growth and expansion of the program worldwide.
7. DARE national day: Former US President Obama set DARE national day which gives an opportunity to reflect on the dangers of drug abuse and violence as well as emphasize how to reduce the threats.
8. Strengthen partnership: The DARE supporters and instructors have led to a strengthened partnership between the law enforcers, communities, and families.
9. Improved communication: The program encourages communication with parents and other responsible individuals resulting in an increased positive view of the police officers. The preventive programs also help to raise a healthy responsible youth.
10. Improve social skills of students: The preventive program is aimed at improving the social skills of students as it is believed that great social competencies can help resist social peer pressure on the use of drugs.
Cons:
1. Ignorance by kids: The kids ignore all genuine information about the effects of the drug on their health because they haven’t seen the immediate consequences of drugs.
2. Not effective: A study carried out shows that the program has no impact on the youth thus, it’s not an effective method for reducing drug use. Many people criticize it and believe the program is still being used in school due to politics
3. Spread fear: The program spread fear among the youth instead of passing information and interactive lessons with students. Placing all the responsibility on them made them say yes to the drug.
4. Increased drug use: A research carried out shows that those who participated in the program had a 3-5% high rate of drug use compared to those who did not participate in the program.
5. Violates Hippocratic Oath: The program may lead to increase intake of alcohol and other illicit drugs making it a harmful therapy.
6. Long-term effects: Students do not retain the information learned from DARE for more than two years. No continued knowledge after the initial program.
8. Overstated message: The panic-level assertions on drug abuse everywhere pushed students away. Making drug substance seem more prevalent than actual also contribute to pushing students who are anxious to fit in.
9. Expensive: DARE is a multibillion-dollar program that requires constant funding with no good results since it is a feel-good program to help prevent illicit drug abuse.
10. Deceive parents: It gives parents a false sense of security when their kids are enrolled in the program.
