D.A.R.E. Updates Its Program, Turns to “Coaches”—and Technology

D.A.R.E. will continue to teach kids about drugs and violence, but it has adapted to changing times.

By Kelsey Tokar, NCPC Staff

The Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program has been updated. The program, which was launched in 1983, partners local law enforcement with schools to teach children about the personal and social consequences of using drugs and violence. Historically, the program would bring a local law enforcement officer into the school to give a speech about the importance of staying off drugs. The new and improved D.A.R.E. program, however, gets the kids involved, embraces new technology, and motivates adolescents to make good decisions.

The officers in the new D.A.R.E. program are trained as “coaches.” As opposed to lecturing kids about the consequences of substance abuse, coaches are trained to get students involved in discussion groups, role-playing sessions, and even mock courtroom exercises. This new approach is part of a major national research study intended to help teachers and administrators follow federal prevention program guidelines and deal with emerging issues such as school violence and terrorism.

D.A.R.E.’s new and improved program will continue to teach adolescents the consequences of using drugs and engaging in violence. The new program brings state-of-the-art technology into the mix. Students can now see firsthand how drugs diminish mental activity, emotions, coordination, and movement through remarkable brain imagery. While D.A.R.E. has certainly helped millions of children across the nation make smart decisions in the past, the new D.A.R.E. program should prove to be even more inspiring and more effective in educating youth on important issues.