the D.A.R.E. program?

[SallyNow]

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

The whole point is that the DARE program does not give the best results. Lying does not give the best results. Telling children that alcohol is bad outright - when they see their parents drinking it a few times a week and being happy, healthy people- is wrong and leaves room for children to distrust everything the program is saying, even the things the DARE program says that are true.

 

[Savage78]

The whole point is that the DARE program does not give the best results. Lying does not give the best results. Telling children that alcohol is bad outright - when they see their parents drinking it a few times a week and being happy, healthy people- is wrong and leaves room for children to distrust everything the program is saying, even the things the DARE program says that are true.

If it stops one child from becoming an addict later in life isnt it worth it?

 

[SallyNow]

If it stops one child from becoming an addict later in life isnt it worth it?

Let's say it stops one child from being an addict, but also causes emcourages another child to try cocaine, because after all, alcohol is bad but his parents use it and are okay, so cocaine must not be that bad either...

The DARE program needs to be totally reworked to allow for more realistic situations and discussions.

Teaching moderation is very important, and the present DARE program is not teaching it.

 

[Savage78]

Let's say it stops one child from being an addict,

Doesnt that make it worth it?

but also causes emcourages another child to try cocaine, because after all, alcohol is bad but his parents use it and are okay, so cocaine must not be that bad either...

Unless DARE is telling the kids that cocaine is OK, then it isnt their fault.

 

[sister_maynard]

Doesnt that make it worth it?



Unless DARE is telling the kids that cocaine is OK, then it isnt their fault.

It may not be directly the program's fault, but the completely overbalanced message and scenarios are almost counterproductive. I remember going through the DARE program several times in school: we were all scared for a few days and then came to our own conclusions as we grew up. Some people ignored DARE completely and experimented with all sorts of drugs. Others got over the initial fear, experimented, and kept going. Most of my friends did a realistic evaluation of what we thought the risks and benefits were based on actual research and talking to people and simply decided that doing drugs wasn't potentially interesting enough to balance the possible brain damage or compromising situations. I don't know a single person who simply avoided drugs out of fear without their parents reinforcing the message every time the subject came up, and some people's patience with that sort of scare tactic is wearing thin.
In short, DARE doesn't cause people to use hard drugs and put themselves in danger, but very few kids will do what the program suggests for the reason it supplies, and unrealistic facts can throw off decision-making later. There's nothing wrong with the existence of DARE, but I'd propose that tactics for preventing addiction are going to be ultimately more lasting if the program fits into the real world instead of collapsing when faced with other aspects of the truth.