Dear Editor:
In spite of widespread public misperception (
”
DARE winners get taste of prison
”
), the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program has
consistently failed to prove effective in reducing the incidence of
alcohol and drug consumption. This fact has been recognized by the
federal government, which has threatened to withdraw funding for
the ineffective program.
Dear Editor:
In spite of widespread public misperception (“DARE winners get taste of prison”), the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program has consistently failed to prove effective in reducing the incidence of alcohol and drug consumption. This fact has been recognized by the federal government, which has threatened to withdraw funding for the ineffective program.
But there is good news. The social norms marketing technique has repeatedly been found effective in reducing both the consumption and the abuse of alcohol.
Most students incorrectly believe that more of their peers consume and abuse alcohol than is the actual case. Therefore, they tend to conform in order to “fit in.” When a credible survey of a student body is conducted and then the surprising results widely promoted, student drinking drops dramatically as students discover the truth. The technique is easy and inexpensive to implement and the effects occur quickly.
There is no justification for using an ineffective program such as DARE when a successful alternative is available. Our young people deserve nothing less.
David J. Hanson, Ph.D., Chapel Hill, NC
Submitted Thursday, June 5 to ed****@************ch.com
