the D.A.R.E. program?

[SallyNow]

It really depends on who is teaching the DARE program and how it is tailored to an individual community.

For instance, it will ineffective to teach that alcohol is bad when children see their parents having wine with dinner, and living happy, successful lives. Teaching them that light to moderate use is okay, and that it is heavy drinking that is problematic, is the problem. This works very well in countries where drinks such as wine and beer are consummed regularly in light to moderate quantities.

A teenager who learns that a few sips of wine at a celebratory dinner is fine will probably not have such a drive to rebel and get wasted at parties.

It would be foolhardy to teach that everyone who smokes marijuana is bad when a child lives in an area where grandparents use it for cancer treatment or eye problems. Children will see that the DARE program lied to them, and will probably doubt the rest of it.

The hard drugs... well, when teaching the cold, hard facts about hard drugs, such as cocaine, there are few positives to be taught. Teaching them the basics is the only way to go. However, you can't demonize the drug users when living in an area with high drug use - you've got to target the drug dealers.

 

[sister_maynard]

^All that makes sense. Trying to provide the most accurate information available and not taking such a firm "use pot and die" stance would probably yield better results. If the kids figure out that the program was telling the truth about drugs that they can see others using, they'll be more likely to trust the rest of the information.

 

[cerad]

I've never heard of the DARE program, but if what you say is true this would be a dangerous tactic to adopt. After all, if the young people find out they were lied to about the pot, maybe they were lied to about the heroin too?

Or even about God!

 

[Maxwell511]

Misinformation about drugs can kill.

 

[TuxThePenguin]

I agree that candy and caffeine are not healthy for the body and I try to avoid both if possible. However, I was not arguing about candy or caffeine but drugs and alcohol and they still harm the body, even if it is done in moderation (although red wine may be good for you, that is like the only example I can think of that is).

You are aware that caffeine is a drug?

 

[chaz345]

I think it has good intentions but it's mostly a feel-good thing.

I that respect it is similar to nearly every government program.

 

[Texas Lynn]

I that respect it is similar to nearly every government program.

Yep, just like the CIA.

 

[sister_maynard]

The program really does seem to focus more on taking the hard line for the sake of feeling good than on realistic information, but softening the message might make the program lose support if some people thought it was condoning drug use.

 

[Savage78]

Hi, I'm not familiar with what DARE teaches kids, but know of the program.

A parent tells a child not to run in the street as they may get hit. (scare tactic)

Drugs can ruin a persons life.
Alchohol can ruin a persons life.
Smoking cigarettes can ruin a persons life.

Kids do not know what we know as adults, and so to tell them bad things result from the use of drugs is just teaching them the truth.

Blessings,
tapero

True

 

[sister_maynard]

Of course it's true that they're telling the truth, but there's an enormous difference between "You can slowly become addicted to drugs and be dependent on them to an unhealthy degree. Some of the drugs may be mixed or sprayed with toxic substances and some of these drugs have the potential to kill you quickly, so it's a good idea to avoid them for your own safety" and "If you smoke pot once then you'll be an addicted hobo and die in a dumpster." The second message is the one that often gets pushed across, and when initial experimentation proves it false then any scare factor surrounding the drug goes away.

 

[CCGirl]

The DARE program is a joke. When my daughter was in it last year (grade 5), after listening to all of the lies about drug and alcohol use, she told the officer that her mummy has a medical prescription for marijuana!! He had no clue what to say then. Same as alcohol, a glass of red wine every evening does wonders for the heart!

 

[sister_maynard]

The DARE program is a joke. When my daughter was in it last year (grade 5), after listening to all of the lies about drug and alcohol use, she told the officer that her mummy has a medical prescription for marijuana!! He had no clue what to say then. Same as alcohol, a glass of red wine every evening does wonders for the heart!

I wouldn't have known what to see either after giving a fearsome speech; with a more flexible program then the question could have been a good opening to talk about good reasons for using drugs safely.

 

[SallyNow]

The DARE program is a joke. When my daughter was in it last year (grade 5), after listening to all of the lies about drug and alcohol use, she told the officer that her mummy has a medical prescription for marijuana!! He had no clue what to say then. Same as alcohol, a glass of red wine every evening does wonders for the heart!

Exactly! The DARE program doesn't take moderation into account; it doesn't take grey areas in to account, either. What is a child supposed to do when they hear how any use of alcohol is bad, yet see their parents drinking wine with dinner, or drinking beer while watching a hockey game on a Friday night?

Why is DARE so afraid of dealing with the concept of moderation? Why does it want to demonize parents who allow their 18 year olds wine at celebratory dinners, or those who have marijuana prescriptions?

ETA: I just took a look around the DARE website, and here's the message to parents.

I find this quote telling:

Say that you do not find alcohol and other illegal drug use acceptable

 

[Savage78]

Exactly! The DARE program doesn't take moderation into account; it doesn't take grey areas in to account, either. What is a child supposed to do when they hear how any use of alcohol is bad, yet see their parents drinking wine with dinner, or drinking beer while watching a hockey game on a Friday night?

Why is DARE so afraid of dealing with the concept of moderation? Why does it want to demonize parents who allow their 18 year olds wine at celebratory dinners, or those who have marijuana prescriptions?

ETA: I just took a look around the DARE website, and here's the message to parents.

I find this quote telling:

Any method used to keep people away from drugs in my bookis ok

 

[SallyNow]

Any method used to keep people away from drugs in my bookis ok

Lying, disrespecting parents and parental authority, causing kids to think the whole message is a lie because so much of it is an exageration? What about children who end up thinking prescription and OTC medication is bad, too? What about children who have seen people who use moderate amounts of alcohol and live good, successful lives, and then decide all of DARE is bunK?

Why not encourage kids to not use hard drugs, and show the effects of childhood alcohol use and adult alcohol abuse, and show how prescriptions drugs can be misused when not taken in accordance with doctor's orders? Why not show the reality, something which is much harder to question and disobey than "all drugs = bad"?

Lying doesn't work. Excegeration doesn't work. Reality does work.

 

[Aredhel]

Honestly, from personal experience, the dare program does not work.

For one thing, I remember participating in it, and we were roleplaying, and the officer pretended to shove a broken bottle in my face, pretending to threaten me to have a beer...and then she got mad at me when i told her that I would've just HAD THE BEER at that point, because the concequences of not doing so would probably be worse. Not like this is a realistic scenario in the first place.

Along with that, it had no obvious effect on any of the kids. They talked to us when we were too young to really and truly understand it, and while that may be a good time to start, they should do it with different age groups, and teach something BESIDES the concept of just saying no....because funny thing about that, it doesnt work.

They also pretended that peer pressure was the only issue affecting our choices. What about the countless friends of mine who started smoking marajuana for no other reason than they wanted to see what it was like.

Honestly, out of all the kids who did the DARE program, I cannot think of a single one who still carries ANYTHING that they learned in that course. And I still talk to most of these people on a regular basis, so I know.

It wouldve been more effective to talk about moderation, and protecting your health. None of this "just say no, even if it puts your life at stake, or you really really want to" garbage.

And theres my rant for the day

 

[trunks2k]

HNot like this is a realistic scenario in the first place.

What you mean to tell me kids aren't actually threatened with their lives by their peers if they refuse to drink alcohol?

When we went through DARE at school, we made a point of making the most unrealistic situation possible whenever we had to role play. My favorite one went something like this.

"hey, would you like a joint"
-NO! I DON'T WANT ONE, YOU TURKEY!
"ok, I was just asking"
-I SAIIIIIID NOOO!!!!!! *commence the beating of the person offering the drugs*

I think by that point the cop doing the program realized that we all thought the whole thing was a joke.

 

[Savage78]

Lying, disrespecting parents and parental authority, causing kids to think the whole message is a lie because so much of it is an exageration? What about children who end up thinking prescription and OTC medication is bad, too? What about children who have seen people who use moderate amounts of alcohol and live good, successful lives, and then decide all of DARE is bunK?

Why not encourage kids to not use hard drugs, and show the effects of childhood alcohol use and adult alcohol abuse, and show how prescriptions drugs can be misused when not taken in accordance with doctor's orders? Why not show the reality, something which is much harder to question and disobey than "all drugs = bad"?

Lying doesn't work. Excegeration doesn't work. Reality does work.

Whatever works..should be encouraged. For whatever the reason what gets the best results should be the option most used.

 

[Aredhel]

The thing is that I dont know any kids that it has even HELPED. REMOTELY.

It's a waste of time, and doesnt appear to have any effect in helping kids to not harm themselves through drugs.

 

[Savage78]

The thing is that I dont know any kids that it has even HELPED. REMOTELY.

Which doesnt mean that it hasnt.