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The other day I was thrift shopping and came across a D.A.R.E. shirt. As someone who was born in the '80s and grew up through the '90s and early 2000s, I snickered a bit remembering the program and how silly it seemed—even back then.
We used to joke with our friends about the police officers who came into our classrooms, teaching us how to "just say no." It always felt so disconnected from the reality we were actually living. No one was going to “tell” on someone for smoking weed at school—that would’ve been social suicide.
But standing there holding that shirt, I had another thought: my entire career now revolves around helping people overcome addiction and serious mental health issues. Deep down, I wish the D.A.R.E. program had worked. I truly do. But after hearing countless stories from our clients, it’s clear: drug use isn’t usually about peer pressure or one bad decision—it’s about the environment someone is raised in.
How do you say “no” when it’s your sibling offering? Or your parent doing lines in the kitchen while you’re trying to do homework? The truth is, D.A.R.E. never really got close to addressing the root causes of addiction. And that’s why it failed.
A Quick Recap: What Was the D.A.R.E. Program?
D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) was launched in 1983 by the LAPD and LA Unified School District. Its mission was to stop drug use before it started by sending uniformed police officers into schools to teach kids about the dangers of drugs, violence, and gangs.
It quickly gained national traction, eventually spreading to all 50 states and over 50 countries. For a while, D.A.R.E. was the face of youth drug prevention.
What D.A.R.E. Got Wrong
Despite its reach, D.A.R.E. simply didn’t work. Multiple studies—including ones commissioned by the U.S. Department of Justice—found it had little to no lasting impact on drug use. From my experience working in addiction treatment, here’s why:
1. It Ignored Lived Experience
D.A.R.E. assumed that kids could say no to drugs just by being told to. But when addiction, trauma, or dysfunction exists inside the home, "no" isn’t a choice—it’s survival.
2. It Wasn’t Trauma-Informed
Addiction often stems from unresolved trauma, not just peer pressure. D.A.R.E. didn’t address emotional regulation, adverse childhood experiences, or mental health—all of which are deeply tied to substance use.
3. It Used Fear Instead of Empathy
Scare tactics might grab attention, but they rarely change behavior, especially in teens. D.A.R.E. missed the opportunity to teach real-world coping skills or build emotional resilience.
4. It Centered Police Instead of Support Systems
While well-meaning, the choice to have police officers deliver the curriculum could alienate students, especially in communities where trust in law enforcement was low. Kids needed mentors, therapists, or relatable adults—not lectures in uniform.
What We Need Instead
In the work we do at our center every day, we see what actually helps people get better:
Compassion
Connection
Tools to manage emotions and trauma
Safe environments
Supportive community
Drug prevention can’t just be about telling kids not to do drugs. It has to be about giving them something better to say yes to—mental health support, mentorship, safety, and the skills to cope with what life throws at them.
Final Thoughts
D.A.R.E. didn’t fail because people didn’t care—it failed because it didn’t go deep enough. It focused on the symptoms, not the roots. If we want to prevent addiction, we have to look at the whole person.
We have to meet people where they’re at, not where we wish they were.
At Miracles In Action, that’s exactly what we do. Whether someone is struggling with addiction, trauma, depression, or just feeling lost—we create space for healing that goes beyond “just say no.”
Because real recovery doesn’t start with a slogan. It starts with being seen, heard, and helped.