Nearly 2.5 million kids/teenagers will likely experiment with marijuana, alcohol, or tobacco products because of undergoing the Drug Abuse Resistance Education(DARE) program(Shepard, Sloboda, Nakashian 3). The DARE program is a school based prevention program established in 1983 by the Los Angeles police department in an attempt to decrease drug use and violence in neighborhoods that were overwhelming the local police departments(Nakashian 2, DARE.org).What was once local to Los Angeles spread quickly to all 50 states of the United States and 52 additional countries such as Great Britain and more(Sing et al 93). DARE’s original curriculum, purely focused around drugs and violence, has been adapted every few years to more reach the needs of …show more content…
When taken into account the training of the police officers, the DARE merchandise given away at graduation, the DARE car, and so on. The money really starts to pile up. According to Edward M. Shepard, an economic analyst, “With an estimated five to six million students enrolled in D.A.R.E. courses, the economic costs of the D.A.R.E. program are estimated to be $175 to $270 per student annually.” On the other hand, many people will argue that the cost is irrelevant when you’re stopping kids from exposing themselves to dangerous drugs. Although I do agree that it’s very important that kids should not grow up using drugs, having the school teach drug awareness sessions would eliminate the price of training the officers and their yearly wage. The only downside with that is that 89% of kids in the DARE program were happy that the DARE officer was at their school. A feeling that the teachers alone could not give to their students(Royal Canadian Mounted Police 9).
An important goal to the DARE program is to reduce the use of marijuana among teens. A review done by Nakashian about DARE’s new programing having very mixed reviews speaks about how the program tracked the marijuan use of seventh graders as they went on to eleventh grade and concluded that the less kids were likely to try marijuana than the control group and more likely to quit the smoking of any cannabis forms if they had already
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Which uses student voted peers to lead classroom discussions and activities, taking the DARE officer out almost completely. DARE PLUS is a ten session class for middle schoolers that “provides skills in recognizing and resisting influences to use drugs and to handle violent situations. It also focuses on character-building and becoming a citizen in our communities,”(Perry et al 3). The first part of the program is classroom based while the second part is after school activities. Students help create and decide which activities they will be doing to keep the program student driven. Activities such as: neighborhood watch clubs, working with local police officers, creating positive messages around the school, etc.. Students were shown to be 50% less likely to experiment with drugs most likely due to the fact that they had people to fall back on in time of need. These activities built great relationships with other students and members of the community(Perry et al). This is exactly what should be done, this pared with the drug education from required health classes and standard fifth or sixth grade classes is the best way to
About one out of five 10th graders and about 1 out of four high school seniors used marijuana in the past month (Facts for Teens, 1). It is the second most popular drug among teens in the US (Encarta, 1). Teens, ages 12-17, that use marijuana weekly are nine times more likely than non-users to experience with illegal drugs and alcohol (Fed. Study, 1). More 13 & 14 year olds are using drugs, fifteen pe...
The best chapters in this book were the last two: Prohibition and School Daze. Here the author touches on the underlying effects of this phenomenon and the war on drugs. He can’t believe that after prohibition the country did not learn its lesson the first time. Moskos believes we can learn a lot from the tobacco crusade, which reduced tobacco use by half without jailing any smokers. Moskos offers many suggestions for public policy, officer training, and drug rehabilitation.
The D.A.R.E program offers great information, but it also costs a significant amount of money to run the program each year. The children receiving this anti-drug information, are at a young age and do not understand how severe drugs are and how it can impair a person’s judgment. At age 10, children may obtain a basic understanding of drugs and alcohol at the end of this program, but by the time they reach high school, they will not be able apply what they have learned from the D.A.R.E program.
Ennett, Susan T., et al. "How effective is drug abuse resistance education? A meta-analysis of Project DARE outcome evaluations." American Journal of Public Health 84.9 (1994): 1394-1401.
Mekdlawit Demissie IGED 130-06 Informative Speech Outline Topic: Marijuana Speech Goal: To inform the audience about the long and short term effects of marijuana usage. Central Idea: Marijuana is the most commonly used drug amongst young people in the United States. Introduction: I. Attention getter:
The biggest question people ask is if the “war on drugs” was successful. According to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), “The goals of the program are to reduce illicit drug use, manufacturing and trafficking, drug-related crime and violence, and drug-related health consequences.” The best way to measure the effectiveness of the “war on drugs” is to focus on these basic questions; Is drug use down? Is crime down? and Are drugs less available? Since 1988, drug use by individuals ages 12 and over has remained stable according to the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA). The number of individuals reporting any drug use has increased by approximately 7 million and the number of those who reported drug use in previous months or previous years has remained unchanged. The Organization Monitoring the Future studies drug use, access to drugs, and perspectives towards drugs of junior and senior high school students nationwide. Results of a study conducted in 2005 showed a minor decline in substance abuse by older teens, but drug use among eighth graders stopped remained the same. However, the changes were not statistically significant and ultimately there was no reduction in substance abuse among young students. Crime in the United States has decreased significantly since 1993, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. On the other hand,
Robertson, E. B., David, S. L., Rao, S. A., & National Institute on Drug Abuse (2003). Preventing drug use among children and adolescents: A research based guide for parents, educators, and community leaders (2nd ed.). Bethesda, Md: U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse.
The drug control policy of the United States has always been a subject of debate. From Prohibition in the early 1930’s to the current debate over the legalization of marijuana, drugs have always been near the top of the government’s agenda. Drug use affects every part of our society. It strains our economy, our healthcare, our criminal justice systems, and it endangers the futures of young people. In order to support a public health approach to drug control, the Obama administration has committed over $10 billion to drug education programs and support for expanding access to drug treatment for addicts (Office). The United States should commit more government resources to protect against illegal use of drugs by youths and provide help for recovering addicts.
The United States government projected $25 million to support schools in school-based drug testing and other drug-free programs. In 2003, many schools across the nation provided their own funding for student drug testing programs. The President wants to increase this program for 2005. He also wants to continue funding for ONDCP. This media campaign sends anti-drug messages to young adults via web sites, functions, and events on drug awareness. This approach will include information for parents and youth to encourage early intervention against drug use in 2005.
Glazer, Sarah. “Preventing Teen Drug Use.” CO Researcher. 28 July 1995: 659-662. Mack, Alison.
...ssures to be the best they can be academically. With all these pressures of adolescence on the rise, more and more teens are falling prey to the alluring “high” that allows a temporary leave from their problems and stress. Because teens lack the maturity and knowledge to understand long term consequences, they tend not to think about the down falls that they will face as a result of the drug use. This is especially true when it come to marijuana, as it is seen by so many as the harmless drug. With the increased use of marijuana by youth over the last three decades, it is imperative that better preventative measures, and firmer penalties, be put in place to educate and raise awareness concerning the risks and dangerous side effects that marijuana use can have. Only once society has put these preventative measures in to action, will there be an effective change seen.
D.A.R.E. Define. Assess. Respond. Evaluate is what DARE stands for. To start off my speech I would like to say thank you to Deputy Kennedy. These few weeks have gone by fast we have gone by and how we have had fun. DARE is a program for 6th graders to teach us about Drugs, Alcohol and Bullying. Though these last few weeks we have learned how to say no and stand up for ourselves and others. We have also learned that when we see bullying happening go tell someone you trust. But we will get into that later.
High school students are leaders to younger kids and many others in their community. As a leader these student must show others what good character is like, but instead they are destroying their lives by doing drugs. In the past decade the drug use among high school students is on the rise once again. With the internet, their exposure to drugs is much greater. High school students are convinced that they are able to get away with using drugs. These drug addicts soon influence other students into doing the drugs because there isn’t a rule preventing drug use. In order to protect these student’s future, drug tests must be enforced among all students ensuring a safe environment for students to learn successfully. Allowing random drug testing in high schools will shy away students from trying these harmful drugs. The stop of drug use among high school students is crucial because drugs prevents student from learning leading them to dropping out of high school. Students that become overwhelmed by these harmful drugs will ruin their lives forever, but if steered in the right direction they can be saved.
After interviewing my teenage cousin whom has been in several altercations at home and school, enlightened me on the ways that teenagers in her age group gets involved in drug use. Kids start as young as ten years of age using, selling, and experimenting with drugs. My teenage cousin was expelled from public schools when she started experimenting with drugs. She was surrounded by many challenges when she enrolled in the alternative behavioral school. Many students, whom attend the alternative behavioral school use drugs, sell drugs, are on probation, have been arrested, engage in sexual activity and drink alcohol.
A community is only as strong as its youngest members. The youth impact a community in more ways than one and in a much larger aspect. They are who are out on the streets playing and representing the neighborhood, but they are also the future of the community and society as a whole. It is a responsibility of the older generation to do its best to provide the best resources to ensure that the youth grow up to be respectful and responsible members of society. There is a large drug problem in the youth of today that lead to drug-related crimes and it is something that can be reduced with the right tools. Of the three proposed courses of action, one seems to be the most beneficial not only to stop the crime but also to prepare the youth of today to become the leaders of tomorrow. By helping to fund several youth literacy programs, the youth will be less likely to become involved in drugs in the first place as well as set them up to be successful in their lives. While there is evidence that supports either proposal, the literacy will be the best fitting and impact the greatest number of students.