D. A. Re Pros And Cons

Every year, 570,000 people die from substance abuse in America alone. In addition, 40% of High School Seniors admit to having tried drugs at least once within the last year. These staggering statistics, and ones like them, are why drug prevention groups- like D.A.R.E- have been formed. These organizations hope to reduce and, eventually, eliminate drug use among elementary, middle, and high school students. And they are making improvements and helping to reduce those horrifying numbers, but many critics do not believe these associations do enough. So the question remains as to whether or not D.A.R.E and the organizations like it are worth the effort and resources it takes to maintain them. However, with all the benefits caused by the program,

Over 50,000 police officers have been certified to teach D.A.R.E programs in American elementary, middle, and high schools. By working with officers, through the D.A.R.E program, and having these men and women as their instructors, students- especially younger students- develop more trusting attitudes toward law enforcement in general. In fact, a 2008 survey showed that students who were instructed by a police officer through the D.A.R.E program regard police in general with a more positive attitude than their non-D.A.R.E peers. And, especially in a time of division and distrust between law enforcement and American citizens, it is more important then ever to encourage trust and positive relationships between young people and police. If it is possible to teach children from a young age that cops are not corrupt or inherently bad, it is more likely that the children will grow up to trust and utilize law enforcement when they grow up.

Another benefit to the D.A.R.E. program is an increased attendance rate. According to a survey from 2010, students enrolled in D.A.R.E. were more likely to attend school than students not participating in D.A.R.E. This shows yet another positive consequence of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program. It is also evidence supporting the popularity of D.A.R.E. with, not only parents,

program, the most important benefit is not the increased attendance or positive view of police. The most important benefit of D.A.R.E. is the information it spreads that helps teenagers and preteens make good decisions with their life and avoid drug use. D.A.R.E. is the most widespread drug abuse prevention program in American schools. It helps educate students in 75% of American school districts and in 43 other countries. Overall, the program reaches 26 million k-12 students in the United States alone and 36 million world-wide. D.A.R.E. provides education about the dangers and consequences of drug to a huge amount of American children in the hopes that less people will succumb to addiction and drug abuse throughout their lifetime. So, while critics may argue that D.A.R.E. is too expensive to sustain and isn't reaching enough people for it to be worth the effort, it is important to remember the full scope of D.A.R.E.'s reach and to know that, if even one child refuses addictive drug or avoids a life of substance abuse, the D.A.R.E. program will be worth it. If the program can prevent even one of the 570,000 drug overdoses a year and save even one life, than it will definitely be worth the funding because these children are our country's future and if our country can't dedicate the resources in the name of helping our future remain bright and healthy, than it should at least be able to help in the name of America's