If "just say no" didn't work 30 years ago, can it really work today?
Is Marijuana Actually Medicinal?    • Is Marijuana Actually Medicinal?  

SUBSCRIBE so you never miss a video!
https://bit.ly/3tNKzhV
And follow us on Instagram and Twitter!
  / abovethenoi.  .
  / atn_pbs  

*What is DARE?*
DARE stands for drug abuse resistance education. It brings cops into classrooms to teach students drug prevention, with the prevailing belief being that any amount of drug use, no matter how small, is harmful to the individual AND to society. DARE began in the early 80s in LA, but by the 90s it had gone national in nearly 75% of all school districts.

*Was DARE effective?*
According to the science, not really. The “just say no” to drugs message AT BEST worked in the short term, but wore off within a year or two. At the end of the day, having students say “no” just doesn’t leave a lasting impact on most of them because they’re parroting back a message to an adult. It doesn’t mimic REAL LIFE situations where they’re gonna need to say no to friends and other students.

*Is the new DARE of today a better version?*
In 2008, DARE adopted a new school curriculum called “Keepin’ It Real”. Keepin’ It Real was developed at a university by researchers that study and understand drugs and addiction and how that stuff affects the adolescent brain. And it’s different from the old, zero-tolerance DARE in that it’s not about “just saying no” and instead is more focused on helping students with their decision-making skills. Cops have been re-trained so it’s more interactive and less based on lectures. And students can have discussions with other students. Studies conducted by the 2 researchers who created the program show it’s effective at reducing drug use and helping students resist peer pressure. But not everyone in the public health community is convinced the new DARE is much better than the old DARE. One peer-reviewed study came to the conclusion that the evidence is “weak” and that it “may not be suited for nationwide implementation.”

*What is harm reduction?*
It’s a new breed of drug education. It goes beyond just saying no. So like, if you DO say yes, how do you keep yourself as safe as you can? With harm reduction, how you measure success is different. It’s not, “Are students doing drugs less?” Instead, it’s how safe are they if they do drugs or are around drugs. So like, knowing how edible cannabis affects you vs smoking it. Or how to recognize the symptoms of an overdose and how best to respond to it. When harm reduction is taught well, it’s been proven to prevent death, injury, disease, overdose, and substance misuse. And one thing you WON’T find in harm reduction programs – cops – because you can’t really have cops saying “drugs are bad” and then a sentence later be like, “but this is how you can be safe if you DO use them.” It’s kinda like a conflict of interest.

SOURCES
Why anti-drug campaigns like DARE fail https://www.vox.com/2014/9/1/5998571/...

A brief history of DARE, the anti-drug program Jeff Sessions wants to revive
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/w...

The New D.A.R.E. Program—This One Works
https://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...

Drug Education Curriculum Moves Beyond ‘Just Say No’ to Teach Harm Reduction
https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learn...

LESSONS FROM D.A.R.E.:THE COMPLICATED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RESEARCH AND PRACTICE
bja.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh186/files/media/document/cci_dare.pdf

Coming to the new D.A.R.E.: A preliminary test of the officer-taught elementary keepin' it REAL curriculum
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science...

Truth and D.A.R.E.: Is D.A.R.E.’s new Keepin’ it REAL curriculum suitable for American nationwide implementation?
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/1...

About KQED
KQED serves the people of Northern California with a public-supported alternative to commercial media. An NPR and PBS member station based in San Francisco, KQED is home to one of the most listened-to public radio stations in the nation, one of the highest-rated public television services, and an award-winning education program helping students and educators thrive in 21st-century classrooms.

Funding for KQED’s education services is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Koret Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the AT&T Foundation, the Crescent Porter Hale Foundation, the Silver Giving Foundation, Campaign 21 donors, and members of KQED.

CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
1:01 Origins of DARE
3:05 What The Science Says
4:21 The New DARE
6:31 Harm Reduction

#drugs #prevention #teens