Drug Abuse Prevention Programs - 3138 Words

Running head: DRUG ABUSE PREVENTION Drug Abuse Prevention Programs: Effectiveness of DARE and Project ALERT Drug Abuse Prevention Programs: Effectiveness of DARE and Project ALERT Although drug use among secondary school students appears to have leveled off during the late 1990s, US adolescents continue to use alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana at unacceptably high rates. Among eighth graders, 52% have tried alcohol, 41% have tried cigarettes, and 20% have tried marijuana. By 12th grade these rates are substantially higher, with large numbers of adolescents engaging in regular drug use (Ellickson, Bell, McGuigan, 1993). In spite of numerous programs implemented in elementary, middle, and high schools to prevent drug, alcohol, and†¦show more content†¦The DARE officer is required to undergo 80 hours of special training in the area of child development, classroom management, teaching techniques, and communication skills, combined with an additional 40 hours to prepare them to teach the high school curriculum (Ennett et al., 1994). This training is required of all DARE Officers prior to facilitating a DARE program. A dditionally, this training equips the officer with the knowledge and expertise to answer questions posed by the students, regarding drugs and crime, while in the classroom (Kochis, 2001). Since its initial development and implementation in Los Angeles, DARE has been replicated, expanded, and implemented all over the country. The seemingly overwhelming commitment and support for this program as a drug prevention program for youths is a puzzle. Not only does it come at a time of limited economic resources, but there is little empirical evidence of the success of DARE as a deterrent to drug use (Lynam et al., 1991). Lynam et al. (1991) tracked over 1,000 Midwestern students who participated in Project DARE in the sixth grade. These students were reevaluated at age 20, ten years after receiving the drug prevention education. The study compared pre-DARE levels of cigarette, alcohol, marijuana and illicit drug use of the students to such use at age 20. Although the DARE intervention produ ced a few initial improvements in the students attitudesShow MoreRelatedDrug Abuse Prevention Program Within The United States745 Words   |  3 Pagesâ€Å"D.A.R.E† is an international nonprofit organization. It is the most prevalent drug abuse prevention program in the United States, which is often referred to as the most prevalent drug prevention program in the world! The original D.A.R.E. program was developed in 1983 as part of a joint effort between the Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles Unified School District to break the generational cycle of drug abuse, related criminal activity, and arrest. The original curriculum consisted ofRead MoreDrug Abuse and Prevention1510 Words   |  7 PagesOur society’s idea of prevention is to limit the availability of drugs (Hart Ksir, 2011, p. 400), but this is not essentially the best way. Addiction affects everyone. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), substance abuse cost our nation  "more than $484 billion dollars (The National Institute on Drug Abuse ).† So although you might not be directly impacted by drug abuse, as a whole your tax dollars are spent on fighting the war on drugs. Currently there are several differentRead MoreBenefits And Limitations When Prevention Providers Are Looking For Successful Programs Essay1722 Words   |  7 PagesThere are many benefits and limitations when prevention providers are looking for successful programs. The National Institute on Drug Abuse, or NIDA, provides a large research-based guide of the most effective prevention programs. This research should be the number one tool when looking into different types of programs, although it does not include every single program. A common problem in the prevention field consists of registries missing important strategies, including environmental approachesRead MorePreventing Substance Abuse940 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿ Preventing substance abuse involves developing numerous strategic partnerships. Substance abuse is a multidisciplinary issue, and requires a correspondingly multifaceted and multidisciplinary approach. The strategy for drug abuse prevention must begin with segmenting the market, or analyzing the needs of the community. Is the greatest proportion of abusers in the community youth? If so, what kinds of drugs are most commonly used in the community? Are seniors in the community abusing prescriptionRead MoreTeenage Drug And Alcohol Abuse978 Words   |  4 PagesTeenage drug and alcohol abuse is becoming a major problem in the United States. Abuse of illicit substances eventually leads to an addiction. Drug and alcohol addiction is a disease, and it is contagious. It does not spread through germs; it spreads through families, schools, and communities. There are two youth prevention programs that try to exceed at decreasing the drug and alcohol abuse in teenagers. They are the D.A.R.E. pr ogram and the Serenity House based out of Texas. The D.A.R.E. programRead MoreDrug Prevention And Education : America s Largest And Longest Running Programs Essay985 Words   |  4 PagesWhen it comes to drug prevention and education, it must differ and be carefully designed depending on the age group and other contributing factors to drug use/abuse. One of the world’s largest and longest running programs has had a great impact on society, both nationally and globally. Even if someone has never attended a seminar or been taught a class in their school, a majority of people know or at least have heard of the D.A.R.E. program. This program has a humble beginning and a positive missionRead MoreA Society Without Drugs1263 Words   |  6 PagesA Society without Drugs Have you ever wondered of how wonderful our society would be, if we are able to get rid of Illegal Drug Usage in our community? Despite having tough anti-drug laws, the U.S. has the highest level of illegal drug use in the world. As per the World Health Organization s survey of legal and illegal drug use in 17 countries, U.S report the highest level of drug usage (CBS news). The second-most abused category of drugs after marijuana among young people is the usage of prescriptionRead MoreExecutive Summary America s Most Popular Anti Drug Program Essay801 Words   |  4 Pagesmost popular anti-drug program D.A.R.E. has created an uproar. The D.A.R.E. program had many issues the main one being its ineffectiveness. How could the most widely used drug prevention program in the United States be deemed ineffective? What went wrong? â€Å"The prevention of drug abuse is an especially salient topic for school psychologists and other educational professionals. Schools are the primary setting for providing education and information aimed at the prevention of drug abuse. Previous meta-analyses†Read More The Drug Abuse Resistance Education Program Essay958 Words   |  4 PagesThe Drug Abuse Resistance Education program known as D.A.R.E has become a very widespread and popular program throughout the United States. The program appeals to all ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic lines, which is a large part of the reason why the DARE program has grown exponentially. The program’s basic premise was meant to introduce kids to the danger of drugs, before the drugs got to them. The implementation of the DARE program appeared to be what America needed to begin to put a dent inRead MoreDrug Of Drug And Drug Abuse1538 Words   |  7 PagesDrug Resistance Drug use has become an increasing problem among high schoolers and teenagers around the same age. Ever since the drug war of the 1900s, drugs have been a major problem in today’s society. â€Å"Use of drugs such as opium, morphine, and other byproducts were common in twentieth century America† (Dobkin, 1998). While most students in standard high school drug education know about the use of coca leaves in Coca-Cola and the opium trade in China, drug addiction during the century is much