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1. When did D.A.R.E. start?

D.A.R.E. was started in 1983 by Chief Daryl Gates of the Los Angeles Police Department and developed by Dr. Ruth Rich of the Los Angeles Unified School District as a substance abuse prevention program from for grades K-12. The program was piloted with ten offers assigned to instruct the curriculum at 50 elementary schools.
Today's program reaches over 30 million students. The program is so successful that it is now being implemented in 75 percent of out nation's school districts and in more than 43 countries around the world.

2. What is D.A.R.E.?

The D.A.R.E. is a pro-active attempt to address the drug and violence problem at its foundation. It is a prevention effort to solve drug and violence problems of our youth. D.A.R.E. focuses on teaching students the facts about alcohol, drugs, and violence. The program offers children the practical skills necessary to resist negative peer pressure, problem solving, and to build and maintain high self-esteem. D.A.R.E. uses a core curriculum consisting of lessons taught to either fifth or sixth-graders. The emphasis of the program is placed at these grades since, statistically, experimental drug use for most kids starts at or around the seventh grade. The D.A.R.E. program has lessons for kindergarten through second grade which address safety issues, recognizing and reporting unsafe or harmful situations such as stranger danger and learning about having good feelings about themselves. Third and fourth grade curriculums have lessons concerning the importance of rules, drug safety, learning to say no, and self-esteem. D.A.R.E.'s keepin' it REAL elementary curriculum is aligned with National Common Core Standards to provide a framework for core instruction in today's classrooms. The curriculum meets multiple National Core Standards in the areas of Reading (literature, informational text, and foundational skills), Writing and Speaking and Listening. Standards are stated exactly as noted on www.corestandards.org

3. Who teaches D.A.R.E.?

The D.A.R.E. curriculum is designed to be taught by law enforcement officers whose training and experience give them the background needed to answer the sophisticated questions often posed by young students about drugs and crime. Prior to entering the classrooms, officers undergo 80 hours of special training in areas such as child development, classroom management, teaching techniques and communication skills. D.A.R.E. combines the best of research and science with the most effective delivery system.

4. Is D.A.R.E. working?

According to the finding of a Gallup poll (July 1993) 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, alcohol and violence. It further increased each student's 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 asks them to do something they don't want to do. In terms of personal behavior and attitudes toward drugs and alcohol, 93 percent of students surveyed reported they have never tried marijuana, cocaine, heroin, crack or inhalants. Seventy five percent stated they have never tried a cigarette; and 70 percent stated they have never tried alcohol. Perhaps most important, 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 National Institute of Justice update (September 1994), study revealed that "D.A.R.E. has been extremely successful at placing substance abuse education in the nation's schools." Support for D.A.R.E. and user satisfaction were reported as "strong". In fact, compared to other prevention programs, D.A.R.E. received "substantially higher" ratings from such key audiences as school staff, students, parents and community representatives. D.A.R.E. showed to be most effective at increasing student's knowledge about substance abuse and enhancing their social skills. The effects of D.A.R.E. include increased positive attitudes toward law enforcement officers, the ability to resist drugs, and building of self-esteem. The study also found that D.A.R.E. appealed to students regardless of race. "Student's receptivity to D.A.R.E. was rated higher than other programs, particularly in districts with large proportions of minority students." Demand for D.A.R.E. is also reported as high. The study discovered that more than 40 percent of the drug use prevention coordinators plan to expand the program and 21 percent of those districts which do not have D.A.R.E. said they are interested in adopting the program.

5. How is D.A.R.E. funded?

The D.A.R.E. program is fully and generously funded by the City of Bonner Springs Drug and Alcohol Advisory Committee. The nine member committee provides recommendations to the City Council on the use of funds for drug and alcohol programs and services. Per KSA 79-41a04 9 (excerpt) monies in the special alcohol and drug program fun shall be expended only for the purchase, establishment, maintenance or expansion of services or programs whose principal and forthright purpose is alcoholism, drug abuse prevention, education, alcohol and drug detoxification, intervention in alcohol and drug abuse or treatment of persons who are alcoholics or abusers.