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SUMMARY

“Findings of a study published by the prestigious Journal of the National Medical Association demonstrate that the D.A.R.E. curriculum is highly effective in prevention of smoking among elementary school-aged children. Smoking is the single most preventable cause of death.

Specifically, the study found that students that completed the D.A.R.E. program were five times less likely to start smoking compared to youngsters who did not participate in D.A.R.E.

Researchers at the Meharry School of Medicine conducted this evaluation of 5th and 6th graders in Nashville, Tennessee. Researchers further found a direct correlation between knowledge regarding the risks of smoking and increased rates of smoking avoidance. The D.A.R.E. students had a significantly higher knowledge score regarding the risk of smoking than the comparison group.

Through D.A.R.E.’s comprehensive curriculum students are armed with the tools needed to reject destructive behaviors such as smoking, drinking, and taking drugs.” 

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Key Findings

The “D.A.R.E.: keepin’ it REAL” elementary school program is delivered by certified D.A.R.E. officers with high fidelity and their delivery is engaging to students. It is effective and successful in the long-term reduction of drinking alcohol, getting drunk, smoking cigarettes, and vaping.

Highlights of the evaluation include:

• Year 1 Elementary School- There were statistically significant reductions in the prevalence of drinking alcohol, getting drunk, smoking cigarettes, and vaping among students who received D.A.R.E. compared to the control cases.
• D.A.R.E. Officers performed very well in the classroom based on both teacher and student ratings. Teachers and students rated D.A.R.E. Officers extremely high on both program fidelity (9.4 out of 10 – delivering the program as intended) and engagement (9.32 out of 10 – actively engaging students during program delivery).
• The teachers’ ratings of officer implementation were highly correlated with students’ ratings of personal engagement (r = .813; p < .0001).
• D.A.R.E. Officer instruction was directly related to positive program outcomes. That is, there were statistically significant correlations between student engagement and student scores at posttest on all variables assessed – increased student engagement was related to positive outcomes on all variables.
• The responsiveness of the D.A.R.E. Officer to the students was also predictive of scores at post-test for variables like decision-making, intentions to avoid drug use, and beliefs about peer norm use.

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SUMMARY

Although program recipients’ attitudes toward instructors are crucial to program outcomes, they have not been adequately examined in the substance abuse prevention literature. This study uses survey data to explore attitudes toward instructors of prevention programming held by students from a national longitudinal evaluation of a school-based substance abuse prevention program delivered by Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) officers. Our analyses indicated that students who had police officers as instructors evaluated program instructors significantly higher than students who had non-police officers as instructors. The evaluation of police instructors varied according to students’ socio-demographic characteristics. Implications for future research and practice are considered.

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CITATION
Augustine Hammond, Zili Sloboda, Peggy Tonkin, Richard Stephens, Brent Teasdale, Scott F. Grey, Joseph Williams, Do adolescents perceive police officers as credible instructors of substance abuse prevention programs?, Health Education Research, Volume 23, Issue 4, August 2008, Pages 682–696, https://doi.org/10.1093/her/cym036

ABSTRACT

Background

The only national drug abuse prevention delivery system that supports the rapid diffusion of new prevention strategies and includes uniform training and credentialing of instructors who are monitored for quality implementation of prevention programming is the Drug Abuse Resistance Education network (D.A.R.E.) linking community law enforcement to schools. Analysis of the organizational structure and function of D.A.R.E. provides an understanding of the essential parameters of this successful delivery system that can be used in the development of other types of national infrastructures for community-based prevention services. Information regarding organizational structure and function around funding issues, training, quality control and community relationships was gathered through telephone surveys with 50 state D.A.R.E. coordinators (including two major cities), focus groups with local D.A.R.E. officers and mentors, and interviews with national D.A.R.E. office staff.

Results

The surveys helped identify several strengths inherent in the D.A.R.E. program necessary for building a prevention infrastructure, including a well-defined organizational focus (D.A.R.E. America), uniform training and means for rapid dissemination (through its organized training structure), continuing education mechanisms (through the state and national conference and website), mechanisms for program monitoring and fidelity of implementation (formal and informal), branding and, for several states, predictable and consistent financing. Weaknesses of the program as currently structured include unstable funding and the failure to incorporate components for the continual upgrading of curricula reflecting research evidence and “principles of prevention”.

Conclusion

The D.A.R.E. organization and service delivery network provides a framework for the rapid dissemination of evidence-based prevention strategies. The major strength of D.A.R.E. is its natural affiliation to local law enforcement agencies through state coordinators. Through these affiliations, it has been possible for D.A.R.E. to become established nationally within a few years and internationally within a decade. Understanding how this structure developed and currently functions provides insights into how other such delivery systems could be developed.

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CITATION
C Merrill, Jeffrey & Pinsky, Ilana & Killeya-Jones, Ley & Sloboda, Zili & Dilascio, Tracey. (2006). Substance abuse prevention infrastructure: A survey-based study of the organizational structure and function of the D.A.R.E. program. Substance abuse treatment, prevention, and policy. 1. 25. 10.1186/1747-597X-1-25.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Results of the evaluation of the D.A.R.E. Rx/OTC curriculum produced evidence of  effectiveness of the Rx/OTC curriculum. Below are design highlights and key findings from the study.

Evaluation Design

• Participants were selected from elementary, middle, and high schools in Montgomery County, MD and Greenbrier County, WV; 7 schools total
• More than 750 students from 5th, 7th and 9th grade classes were recruited for the study. This exceeds the number of students originally proposed for the study, which were 720 students.
• Measures to assess knowledge of Rx/OTC drugs, appropriate use, and perceived risk of abuse
• Longitudinal design with outcome measures before and after Rx/OTC curriculum
• Focus groups with parents to assess effectiveness of parent/community video

Findings
Among the notable findings for 5th graders, results indicated statistically significant improvements after the Rx/OTC curriculum in the following outcomes:

• Definition of a medicine
• Distinction between Rx and OTC medicines
• Rx drugs prescribed for use by only one person
• Proper disposal of Rx drugs
• Accurate measurement of dosages
• Overall percentage of correct responses

Among the notable findings for 7th graders, results indicated statistically significant improvements after the Rx/OTC curriculum in the following outcomes:

• Distinction between Rx and OTC medicines
• Rx drugs prescribed for use by only one person
• Careful reading of drug facts labels
• Belief that abuse of Rx/OTC is as dangerous as other drugs

In addition, after experiencing the curriculum, 7th graders were significantly more likely to believe that children could use prescription medicine without the permission of their parent guardian. There was a similar trend (though not statistically significantly) to believe that if they have read the label carefully, children over 12 can take OTC medicine without parental permission. The meaning of these findings is somewhat ambiguous, because adolescents are expected to gradually assume more responsibility for their OTC medication. Even with respect to prescription medicines, adolescents should be able to take additional dosages (e.g., of an inhaler) after initial parental permission and instruction have been received.

Rx & OTC Evaluation 3

Results for 9th graders indicated significant improvements in the following outcomes:

• Awareness that people use Rx/OTC drugs to get high
• Believe that it is unsafe to share Rx/OTC drugs
• Belief that it is harmful to abuse OTC drugs
• Knowledge that it is illegal to use Rx drugs not prescribed for you
• Knowledge of negative health effects of Rx/OTC abuse
• Knowledge of the risk of addiction to Rx drugs
• Perceived likelihood of refusing an offer to use Rx/OTC drugs
• Overall percentage of correct responses

Focus group results indicated the video produce marked increases in knowledge of the risk of Rx/OTC abuse, knowledge useful for detection of Rx/OTC abuse, and perceived efficacy to influence their children towards appropriate use of Rx/OTC use. Parents indicated that the video made them realize they need to talk to their kids about the problem and control access to Rx/OTC medicines in the house.

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CITATION
Darnell, A. and Emshoff, J. 2008. Findings from the evaluation of the D.A.R.E. prescription and over-the-counter drug curriculum, Atlanta, GA: EMStar Research.

In this article from a September 2014 issue of Scientific American, the development of newer D.A.R.E. curriculum on a national level is discussed. The newer curriculum has even persuaded a man who was previously outspoken critic of the program into becoming a supporter.

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