D.A.R.E. is an acronym for: Drug Abuse Resistance Education. Project D.A.R.E. is a program that was introduced by the federal government, nationwide, in 1983 and ended in 2009. It is a self-proclaimed “police officer-led series of classroom lessons that teaches children from kindergarten through 12th grade how to resist peer pressure and live productive drug and violence-free lives.” It was developed by police officers and teachers in Los Angeles. Project D.A.R.E. became recognized as an ineffective program because it largely failed to prevent drug use. It did, however, serve as an excellent starting point for prevention scientists to work with D.A.R.E. America, the nonprofit organization that administered the program, to cultivate and refine a new, more effective program that directly caters to today’s adolescents, called keepin’ it REAL.
There were several follow-up studies conducted to discern the effectiveness of Project D.A.R.E.:
According to the Scientific American scientist concluded that “despite being the nation’s most popular substance abuse prevention program, D.A.R.E. did not make you less likely to become a drug addict or even to refuse that first beer from your friends.” Although there was a clear intention to take proactive measures, attempting to sufficiently arm youth against the war on drugs, unfortunately, Program D.A.R.E. failed.
Building off some of the concepts of Program D.A.R.E., keepin’ it REAL is a course that was shaped by prevention specialists. According to Real Prevention, “keepin’ it REAL (kiR) is a scientifically proven, effective substance use prevention and social and emotional competency enhancing program designed to focus on the competencies linked to preventing substance use and abuse.” In 2016, the U.S. Surgeon General expressed support for keepin’ it Real and featured it as a cost-effective and powerful program. The substance-abuse curriculum includes interactive lessons that focus on elementary and middle school students’ decisions, not drugs.
Seeking help is never easy, but you are not alone! If you or someone you know needs mental health treatment, we strongly encourage you to reach out for help as quickly as possible. It is not uncommon for many mental health difficulties to impact a person for the long term. The earlier you seek support, the sooner you and your loved ones can return to happy, healthy, and fulfilling lives.
Our admissions team is available to answer any general questions regarding mental health issues, treatment, and/or specific questions about the program at Pacific Teen Treatment and how we might be able to help your family. We can be reached by phone 24/7 at 800-531-5769. You can also contact us via email at info@pacificrtc.com.
PTT provides treatment for the contemporary issues facing teenagers in today’s world utilizing a family focused and collaborative approach providing individualized care for teens and their families. Licensed by the State of California, Community Care Licensing Division #198209636
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