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Anti-drug Education: Dare Program

David Lunn Jr., was only 15 years old when he attended the first DARE assembly at his school. David learned about the different drugs and why saying no is so important. The program was a trap that lured him to heroin. The program made heroin sound so fun that he was constantly thinking about it. He tried heroin before he became addicted to opiates. David was a promising basketball player and eventually became addicted to opiates. Soon, he would be alone and his body was resting against a basement door in an abandoned apartment building. This is just one example of many who had a bright future but lost their lives to an overdose of opiates. We need to change to save lives. This will reduce the teenage drug abuse and increase social resistance to drugs by focusing anti-drug education more on science. Anti-drug programs don’t work, that is the key point. DARE, Just Say No campaigns, and other programs that try to discourage children from using opiates have not had much success. Children are more likely than ever to be taught to use drugs that they should avoid. Bernard Bard, an academic, stated that “there is no evidence to show that any secondary school programs observed reduced illegal drug usage… these programs actually encouraged drug abuse.” This sentence, forty-six year old, is still valid today. Bernard Bard also discovered the California State Department of Education produced a report regarding anti-drug program at several secondary schools. Evidence collected revealed that half of the schools had experienced an extraordinary rise in drug use following the implementation of the anti-drug program. This shows how anti-drug programs are not effective in many schools, and can make the situation even worse. Teens can be encouraged and even forced to use drugs. They could also become addicted if the society fails to improve their drug education. David Heitz, a writer for rehab facilities, documented a new generation of drug-addicted teenagers who mix marijuana with alcohol and even inject heroin. Adolescent opiate addicts are on the decline and the numbers of adolescents using them is growing. Another group of pediatric professors found additional evidence that suggests more children are abusing opiates, and will continue using them into adulthood. Richard Miech from the University of Minnesota, is one of the researchers. This stat shows that DARE has done little to help students or guided them to make better choices. These antidrug programs have minimal success rates for adolescents who attend them. The goal of society is to protect each other, but it isn’t being achieved. Teenagers continue to be addicted to dangerous drugs and are overdosing with opiates. There is a need to protect youth in society. Many people believe that focusing only on morals will bring about change. However, this is false. It is now time to look for a new method to improve the program. This problem can be solved by applying science to these programs. Research and studies can help to improve the program. According to pediatric doctors, emotion regulation is believed to increase the likelihood of substance abuse prevention and control of temptations to relapse. The doctors began to investigate the assumption further. The new course was created by pediatric doctors and preventive doctors in the 2000s. Keepin’, It REAL is different than DARE because it replaces drug lectures by interactive lessons. Interactive lessons tell stories about addicts and their families who have overdosed to help teens make informed decisions. It helped to reduce the amount of teens who abuse drugs. It REALly created an antidrug mindset among students during its initial trials. These doctors also discovered that behavioral scientists had suggested a new approach in 1998. This was based on successful behavior-change strategies. This solution is scientifically supported and effective. According to the Committee on Substance Abuse and Council on School Health (Council on School Health), illicit drug use has decreased steadily in middle and high schools. These statistics demonstrate that keeping it real has led to a decrease in illicit drug use among students. The moral path is not helping students but there’s still hope.

Some may argue that schools should eliminate anti-drug programs, but it is not the right solution. Peer pressure and school will continue to influence kids to use opiates in some way. It is possible for adolescents to be more susceptible to taking opiates than if they are taught about their dangers. Certain curricula that are designed specifically for schools have been recommended by doctors. These curricula are designed to spark interest in students and allow them to interact with the material. They also cater to each grade’s developmental needs. A better alternative to eliminating the anti-drug program is finding one that offers students a different perspective. “Studies have proven convincingly that school programs can enhance the impact of community components,” said pediatric doctors. These anti-drug programs are more likely to work if you put in the effort. DARE was an example of how researchers combined efforts to help students connect better with their program. The website is designed to assist adolescents and was based upon previous research. This shows that even though adolescents may have been influenced by other negative peer groups or other negative influences, teaching communication skills and life skills can still be beneficial. The new anti-drug program is proving to be beneficial for adolescents. Numerous studies were done by a group pediatric doctors. They concluded that drug education helps children, youth, adults, and adolescents to learn about the health benefits of living in a healthy lifestyle, to take responsibility for their own actions, and to relate them to the actions of others …”.. This section focuses on the benefits of anti-drug programs for youth. Without proper education, adolescents can cause harm to themselves and others.

The best way to make anti-drug programmes work is to refocus anti-drug education and science. Only by coming together, fighting the “War on Drugs,” can we end this epidemic. There will be more deaths from overdoses of opiates if nothing’s done. It is important to raise awareness and find solutions. We are not doing enough to save lives every day.

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