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D.A.R.E. envisions a world in which students everywhere are
empowered to respect others and choose to lead lives free from
violence, substance abuse, and other dangerous behaviors.

31st D.A.R.E. INTERNATIONAL TRAINING CONFERENCE
Learn More JULY 10 TO 12, 2018 ROSEN CENTRE HOTEL ORLANDO FLORIDA

In The News

Curated content from Media Channels talking about D.A.R.E., Hometown stories, and D.A.R.E. America

D.A.R.E. America is accepting nominations for its three most prestigious awards: the 2018 Daryl F. Gates D.A.R.E. Lifetime Achievement Award; the 2018 D.A.R.E. Officer of the Year Award; and the 2018...
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WORLAND - Friday afternoon, Worland fifth-graders celebrated their graduation from the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program with a small celebration in the café-gym-atorium of Worland's West Side Elementary School with guest speakers, recognition of...

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Lincolnview Local Schools and Crestview Local Schools have teamed up with the Van Wert County Sheriff's Office to equip themselves with a full-time School Resource Officer. Starting Monday, April 9, 2018...
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A number of West Delaware Middle School recently graduated from the D.A.R.E. program. D.A.R.E. - which stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education - has undergone several curriculum changes over the years to keep pace with drug trends and resistance strategies. The...

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Deputy Jordan had her 1st D.A.R.E. graduation today. Deputy Jordan put her heart into every word that she spoke to the facility, parents and students. Tears of love fell from many in attendance as we all could tell the close relationship that had developed between the...
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Roper Stoots, D.A.R.E. Officer Tonya McWhirter, STEM Teacher Kristi Jernigan, and Christopher DeShawn Rush. Rush and Stoots were recognized for their award-winning App. It was a packed house at Louisville Elementary today for the annual D.A.R.E. Program as 282...

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In response to the nation's Opioid crisis, D.A.R.E. is developing a comprehensive Opioid Prevention Curricula for elementary, middle, and high school students, as well as their communities that will address abuse of Opioids and Over the Counter and Prescription Drugs. As part of our efforts to serve children, families and communities, we additionally offer the following free online Opioid Lesson for students, parents, and members of communities.
LEARN MORE

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH) found that in 2016, attitudes among American students had improved when it came to drug abuse. Past-year use of illicit drugs other than marijuana declined, to the lowest level in the history of the survey.
LEARN MORE

31st D.A.R.E. International Training Conference
July 10 to 12, 2018
Rosen Centre Hotel
9840 International Dr, Orlando, FL 32819
Early Bird Online Registration is LIVE!
Register Now
Hotel reservations are live for 2018!
The guestroom rates: $121 for single/double, $141 for triple, and $161 for quad occupancy
LEARN MORE

The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day addresses a crucial public safety and public health issue. According to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 6.4 million Americans abused controlled prescription drugs. The study shows that a majority of abused...
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D.A.R.E. is taught in each state, U.S. territory, and 50+ other countries

D.A.R.E. History

D.A.R.E. America's Commitment to Prevention

In its 35 year history, D.A.R.E. America has constantly improved its science and evidence based education programs to provide students with the knowledge and tools they need to resist drugs, alcohol, and other high risk behaviors.

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Purchase D.A.R.E. Merchandise & Workbooks

D.A.R.E. America is accepting nominations for its three most prestigious awards: the 2018 Daryl F. Gates D.A.R.E. Lifetime Achievement Award; the 2018 D.A.R.E. Officer of the Year Award; and the 2018...
LEARN MORE

WORLAND - Friday afternoon, Worland fifth-graders celebrated their graduation from the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program with a small celebration in the café-gym-atorium of Worland's West Side Elementary School with guest speakers, recognition of...

LEARN MORE

Lincolnview Local Schools and Crestview Local Schools have teamed up with the Van Wert County Sheriff's Office to equip themselves with a full-time School Resource Officer. Starting Monday, April 9, 2018...
LEARN MORE

A number of West Delaware Middle School recently graduated from the D.A.R.E. program. D.A.R.E. - which stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education - has undergone several curriculum changes over the years to keep pace with drug trends and resistance strategies. The...

LEARN MORE

Deputy Jordan had her 1st D.A.R.E. graduation today. Deputy Jordan put her heart into every word that she spoke to the facility, parents and students. Tears of love fell from many in attendance as we all could tell the close relationship that had developed between the...
LEARN MORE

Roper Stoots, D.A.R.E. Officer Tonya McWhirter, STEM Teacher Kristi Jernigan, and Christopher DeShawn Rush. Rush and Stoots were recognized for their award-winning App. It was a packed house at Louisville Elementary today for the annual D.A.R.E. Program as 282...

LEARN MORE

In response to the nation's Opioid crisis, D.A.R.E. is developing a comprehensive Opioid Prevention Curricula for elementary, middle, and high school students, as well as their communities that will address abuse of Opioids and Over the Counter and Prescription Drugs. As part of our efforts to serve children, families and communities, we additionally offer the following free online Opioid Lesson for students, parents, and members of communities.
LEARN MORE

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH) found that in 2016, attitudes among American students had improved when it came to drug abuse. Past-year use of illicit drugs other than marijuana declined, to the lowest level in the history of the survey.
LEARN MORE

31st D.A.R.E. International Training Conference
July 10 to 12, 2018
Rosen Centre Hotel
9840 International Dr, Orlando, FL 32819
Early Bird Online Registration is LIVE!
Register Now
Hotel reservations are live for 2018!
The guestroom rates: $121 for single/double, $141 for triple, and $161 for quad occupancy
LEARN MORE

The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day addresses a crucial public safety and public health issue. According to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 6.4 million Americans abused controlled prescription drugs. The study shows that a majority of abused...
LEARN MORE

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D.A.R.E. America | Teaching Students Decision-Making for Safe & Healthy Living

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D.A.R.E. envisions a world in which students everywhere are empowered to respect others and choose to lead lives free from violence, substance abuse, and other dangerous behaviors. 31st D.A.R.E. INTERNATIONAL TRAINING CONFERENCE Learn More JULY 10 TO 12, 2018 ROSEN CENTRE HOTEL ORLANDO FLORIDA Curated content from Media Channels talking about D.A.R.E., Hometown stories, and D.A.R.E.

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At a recent school event, a mother asked me how she could help her son who had begun drinking and taking drugs. "There must be something I can say that will make him listen," she implored, hoping I could help her find the magic words that would make her son face his escalating substance abuse problem.

I teach writing at an inpatient drug and alcohol rehabilitation center, so I went to the source for answers. I asked my students to write about the question, "In your most receptive, optimistic and trusting moments, was there anything that anyone could have said to you that would have affected your drug use? If so, who was that person and what could they have said to you?" Here (shared with their permission and the permission of the program) are some of their answers.

D. wrote, "We kids generally don't want to listen to what our parents or teachers say, but I might have listened to another family member. Maybe if they said that alcohol could take control of you, or that alcohol can make you lose friends, make you push away people who care about you, and make you do things that you would be embarrassed to tell your parents about."

"If parents don't have first-hand experience with drugs or alcohol, it's hard for their kids to connect with them about their addiction. They need someone who knows the sadness, the loneliness, and the darkness," wrote another.

A., a particularly introspective and perceptive student, wrote that the things the adults in his life told him about drugs and alcohol made him more determined to seek them out, not less. When adults told him drugs were all bad, with no upside, he suspected he wasn't being told the truth. "There must have been some reason they were so addictive, that so many people seemed to love them so much. It seemed like everyone was trying to hide the truth from me, like someone telling you that the chocolate pudding sucks so that they can eat more of the delicious pudding themselves. I was determined to try that pudding, to make up my own mind."

When he did try the pudding (marijuana, in his case), "It made me feel better than I had felt in so, so long. It brought back the happiness I felt before the depression, the anxiety, the panic attacks." That initial positive experience only served to support his hunch that the adults in his life had been lying to him all along.

What might have worked, continued A. in his paper, was the truth. "Show them the black, white, and the gray, otherwise they will find the truth themselves, through experience. Show them both sides of the story, and they'll figure out that drugs aren't worth the consequences."

A., as it turns out, was on to something. David Sheff, author of the books " Beautiful Boy," the story of his son's addiction, and " Clean, " about treating and preventing drug addiction, wrote in an email, "The research shows that for a conversation to make a difference, it must rely not on scare tactics - dire warnings and exaggerated fears - but facts. The goal is to get kids to think. We must acknowledge that it's confusing and there aren't easy or black-and-white answers. We can use a kind of motivational interviewing and get kids thinking about why they may be tempted to use - the potential benefits versus potential risks."

Lisa Fredericksen, author of "If You Loved Me, You'd Stop! What You Really Need to Know When Your Loved One Drinks Too Much" added in an email that we must also take adolescent brain development into account in our parenting. Until their brains are fully wired for adulthood, they need help balancing their as-yet underdeveloped ability to predict the cause and effect of their actions against their natural tendency toward risk-taking and impulsiveness. "It is our job, then, to structure our teens' lives so they have the kinds of boundaries that will help them thrive until their brains have matured enough to take full control," Ms. Fredericksen explained.

To offer meaningful support and advice to our children, Mr. Sheff wrote, we have to understand why they use drugs in the first place. He points to surveys of teenagers that indicate they don't use drugs because of peer pressure or a desire to get high, but rather to cope with the stress and anxiety in their lives. Therefore, if we want to keep teenagers from using drugs, we have help them manage that stress.

It's useless to tell a child who's being bullied, or is failing in school, or is traumatized by family turmoil to just say no. It's pointless to tell our children to 'make good choices' about drugs if those drugs offer a reprieve from the darkness they feel, or a connection they so badly crave to other kids. We must work to mitigate rather than add to the stress they experience before drugs present as a solution.

Mr. Sheff's words echo the advice I've heard from experts in childhood anxiety, self-injury, and trauma: Listen to your children, validate their feelings, and help them develop the emotional vocabulary and coping mechanisms they so desperately need in order to navigate their lives, substance free.

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Teenagers, Dealing With Addiction, on What Might Have Helped

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At a recent school event, a mother asked me how she could help her son who had begun drinking and taking drugs. "There must be something I can say that will make him listen," she implored, hoping I could help her find the magic words that would make her son face his escalating substance abuse problem.

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New study disproves previous theory that medication can prevent teenagers abusing drink and drugs

35% of those with ADHD used one or more substances, compared with 20% who didn't have condition

Cannabis abuse a particular problem

Teenagers with the hyperactivity disorder ADHD are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, new research has found.

A study discovered contrary to previous findings current medications for the condition do not counter the risk for substance abuse among adolescents.

Scientists believed that a side effect of taking the prescribed medicines lowered the chance of teenagers drinking or taking drugs.

But new research claims there is a 'significantly higher prevalence' of alcoholism and cannabis smoking among young ADHD sufferers.

They also claim that cigarette smoking was nine per cent higher in ADHD teens than youths did not have it.

Professor Brooke Molina, from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, led the study of 600 children over an eight year period.

The aim was to discover if children with ADHD have an increased risk of substance use and abuse or dependence in adolescence.

The researchers found that when the subjects were an average of 15 years-old, 35 per cent admitted using one or more substances, compared with 20 per cent of non-ADHD teens.

By the age of 17, cannabis use was 'particularly problematic', with 13 per cent hooked compared to three per cent of teenagers without the condition.

Daily smoking was 'very high' at 17 per cent which, claims Professor Molina, is much higher than the U.S. national average.

But alcohol abuse was high in both groups suggesting that underage drinking was a common occurrence for teenagers in general.

Professor Molina said: 'This study underscores the significance of the substance abuse risk for both boys and girls with childhood ADHD.

'These findings also are the strongest test to date of the association between medication for ADHD and teenage substance abuse.'

At least two per cent of children in the UK are thought to have ADHD and diagnosis usually occurs between the ages of three and seven.

Symptoms include a short attention span, restlessness or constant fidgeting and being easily distracted.

In contrast to current thinking, Professor Molina found that substance abuse rates were no different in children being treated with medication for ADHD than those who were not.

That has prompted a call for a new approach to substance abuse prevention and treatment methods for boys and girls with ADHD.

Professor Molina added: 'We are working hard to understand the reasons why children with ADHD have increased risk of drug abuse.

'Our hypotheses, partly supported by our research and that of others, is that impulsive decision making, poor school performance, and difficulty making healthy friendships all contribute.

'Some of this is biologically driven because we know that ADHD runs in families. However, similar to managing high blood pressure or obesity, there are non-medical things we can do to decrease the risk of a bad outcome.'

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Teenagers with ADHD are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, even if they're given medication

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New study disproves previous theory that medication can prevent teenagers abusing drink and drugs 35% of those with ADHD used one or more substances, compared with 20% who didn't have condition Cannabis abuse a particular problem Teenagers with the hyperactivity disorder ADHD are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, new research has found.

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New Approach to Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment

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Currently, most substance abuse treatment follows an acute care model comparable to the medical approach to a broken arm. A person with a substance abuse problem enters treatment, just as they might go to the emergency room to have a broken arm set.

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Adolescent Addiction Programs - The Causes and Risks of Adolescent Drug Abuse

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According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the most abused substance in the world today is alcohol. This is swiftly followed by marijuana, which is the most abused illegal drug particularly among young people. The number of adolescents addicted to alcohol or drugs in the United States has risen sharply.

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CURRENT PREVENTION OR INTERVENTION PROGRAMS

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CURRENT PREVENTION OR INTERVENTION PROGRAMS

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Sam's interview (questions and answers) with Risky Adolescent Behavior specialist, Dr. Bruce Ellis.

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Sam's interview (questions & answers) with a Risky Adolescent Behavior specialist, Dr. Dennis Embry.

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Sam's photos of himself volunteering and other hotline workers on the phones.

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An account of Sam's experiences volunteering at a substance abuse hotline. Things he learned, things that were surprising, etc.

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Association between teen drinking and suicide attempts

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Association between teen drinking and suicide attempts

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Pre-teen alcohol use initiation and suicide attempts among middle and high school students: Findings from the 2006 Georgia Student Health Survey

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Early alcohol use initiation has been linked to suicide attempts among youth. However, very little is known about the potential impact of alcohol-rela...

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Association between Teen Drinking and Drinking in Movies

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Association between Teen Drinking and Drinking in Movies

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Data are for adolescents aged 12-17 years who reported using at least 1 of the following substances in the past 30 days: alcohol, marijuana/hashish, cocaine (including crack), heroin, hallucinogens, inhalants, or prescription-type psychotherapeutics used non-medically, including methamphetamines.

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Pervasive, consistent messages to young people about drugs and alcohol can prevent substance abuse. Effective prevention requires that the same messages about alcohol, drugs, and tobacco be delivered by many messengers - schools, parents, peers and the community -- repeatedly throughout childhood and adolescence.

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Multifactorial model to explain adolescent alcohol use

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Multifactorial model to explain adolescent alcohol use

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Note: Not all journal articles are free, but if you find a good one you can access it through the UA Library search engines

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Web of Science - Please Sign In to Access Web of Science

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Your ideal single research destination to explore the citation universe across subjects and around the world. Web of Science provides you access to the most reliable, integrated, multidisciplinary research connected through linked content citation metrics from multiple sources within a single interface.

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ONLINE RESEARCH - RECOMMENDED SEARCH ENGINES

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ONLINE RESEARCH - RECOMMENDED SEARCH ENGINES