According to the findings of a recent national Gallup survey of students who have completed the D.A.R.E. Program, more than 90 percent of those polled believe that the D.A.R.E. Program provided them with the skills to avoid drugs and alcohol, and increase their self-confidence in dealing effectively with negative peer pressure.
Approximately 94 percent of those students surveyed indicated that they now know how to respond when a friend(s) asks them to do something they don't want to do. These students indicated that they used one of two avoidance techniques taught in the D.A.R.E. classroom -either saying "no" or suggesting another activity when friends try to pressure them into doing something they don't want to do.
In terms of personal behavior and attitude toward drugs and alcohol, 93 percent of students surveyed reported they have never tried marijuana, cocaine, heroin, crack or inhalants, 75 percent stated they have never tried a cigarette, and 70 percent stated they have never tried alcohol. Perhaps most importantly, seven of ten students stated that alcohol use is very dangerous and more than nine of ten students believe drug use is very dangerous to their health and well-being.
"The Gallup survey confirms that the D.A.R.E. program works," said Glenn Levant, Executive Director, Worldwide for D.A.R.E. America. "We know that kids who have the opportunity to learn how to avoid unwanted peer pressure, can and will overcome many of the problems they face. The support and encouragement of parents, teachers, law enforcement officers, community leaders, elected officials and business leaders is vital to this effort. "D.A.R.E. is the law enforcement-offcer led series of classroom lessons that teaches children the facts about alcohol, drugs, violence and gangs and offers them the practical skills necessary to resist unwanted negative peer pressure and to build and maintain a high self esteem. Now entering its 10th year, D.A.R.E. has quickly become the world's largest and most effective drug education program, as well as a nationally-recognized model of community based policing. Each year, nationwide, the D.A.R.E. program is taught to 10 million students, kindergarten through 12th grade. In addition, nationwide, an additional 15 million students are impacted in a positive manner by the program annually.
Established in 1983 as a unique partnership between the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles Unified School District, today's D.A.R.E. program is taught in all 50 states, 12 foreign countries (Australia, New Zealand, American Samoa, Hungary, Sweden, Norway, Canada, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Costa Rica, Mexico, Brazil) and the Department of Defense Dependents Schools worldwide.
The Gallup survey results are based on telephone interviews with a national sample of 632 young people ages 11-18 conducted from June I through July 2, 1993. For results based on samples of this size, one can say with 95 percent confidence that the error attributable to sampling and other random effects could be plus or minus five percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the finding of opinion polls.