Drug education programs come in many forms, from those aimed at young people to court-ordered programs. Do drug prevention programs work, though?
Sharing knowledge from researchers and addiction experts can help everyone understand the dangers of drugs and addiction. It can also inform people about treatments that work. As part of a broader plan, drug education programs can play a key role in reducing substance abuse in a community. They can also be helpful in a treatment plan for a drug or alcohol rehab.
Are Drug Prevention Programs Effective?
Drug prevention programs aim to reduce substance use, especially among young people. Drug education programs effectiveness can vary based on the type of program and how it’s implemented. Some programs focus on education, giving people the facts about drugs and alcohol. Others teach life skills, such as how to handle peer pressure or make healthy choices. Research has shown that programs combining education and life skills can be more effective.
While prevention programs cannot eliminate drug use, they can delay the age at which someone starts using substances or reduce overall usage rates. This can lead to fewer addiction problems in the long run. However, for programs to work well, they need to be carefully designed, with consistent follow-ups and evaluations to measure their impact.
Effectiveness of Drug Education in Schools
To understand what makes drug prevention and education programs effective, we need to know what goals schools are aiming at. The main purpose of these programs for kids and teens isn’t just to provide knowledge about the issue, but also to discourage or delay the start of substance use. This is done by giving everyone the information and skills they need to avoid the problem.
Research shows that the benefits of drug education in schools are many times greater than the costs.
Prevention programs that help stop drug use are a smart way to spend public money. They don’t cost a lot and drug use can be very expensive for society. However, even the best programs can’t stop all drug use. For example, the top programs might lower smoking, drinking, and cocaine use by 2% to 3%. These numbers might seem small, but they are still important because drug use costs society a lot of money. Compared to the best results some programs claim, like reducing drug use by 10%, 20%, or even 30%, these numbers might look even smaller. This happens for two main reasons:
- Programs use different ways to measure success. One program might say it cuts down weekly drug use by 33% but only reduces the chance of someone ever using drugs by 5%.
- The good effects of these programs don’t last forever. The long-term benefits are often much smaller than the results seen right after the program ends.
Programs that teach kids in school how to avoid drugs are a cost-effective way to improve public health and deal with big drug problems like the fentanyl crisis in the U.S. Also, these programs might be even more effective at handling new drug issues than ongoing ones.
DARE
DARE (the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program) started in 1983. Police officers taught it in classrooms across the country, warning kids about the dangers of drugs and telling them to “Just say no.”
The idea of teaching students to abstain from drugs still has many supporters, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration aims to keep teens drug-free. For those wondering is the DARE program effective, studies from the 1990s and early 2000s showed that programs like DARE didn’t have a significant effect on drug use. One study even found that drug use slightly increased among suburban students after attending the program. In 2009, D.A.R.E. changed its curriculum to “keepin’ it REAL,” but it doesn’t focus on teaching students how to reduce their risk if they choose to use drugs.
Nora Volkow, head of NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse), says, “Just saying no is not enough.” While the goal is for teens to avoid drugs altogether, she acknowledges that it might not be realistic for everyone. The shortcomings of past drug education programs continue to affect today’s efforts to warn young people about the dangers of fentanyl.
Just Say No
As part of the U.S. War on Drugs, First Lady Nancy Reagan’s “Just Say No” campaign aimed to stop young people from trying drugs. While the campaign’s effectiveness has since been questioned and the War on Drugs remains controversial, its simple message gained traction in the mid-1980s due to rising drug use.
President Reagan and his administration pushed for a zero-tolerance approach to drug use, hoping to cut down on both the demand and supply of drugs. Meanwhile, Nancy Reagan’s campaign encouraged young people to stay away from illegal substances. Although the campaign was widely discussed, it had little impact on the young people it aimed to help.
Studies have shown that young people involved in abstinence-focused groups like DARE or the “Just Say No” clubs were just as likely, or even more likely, to use drugs as those who didn’t participate in these programs. They also lacked the proper education to make safe choices regarding drug use.
Safety First
To stay safe, young people need honest and compassionate drug education. That’s why the Drug Policy Alliance created Safety First: Real Drug Education for Teens. It’s the first high school program in the country that teaches drug education based on harm reduction.
Young people need accurate information about drugs to make safer choices, but most U.S. schools rely on abstinence-only programs despite their flaws. Programs like these don’t equip students with the tools to make safe decisions or to get help if they encounter issues with alcohol or drugs.
Beyond this, abstinence-only education often makes teenagers distrust any drug information provided by adults.
Safety First was independently evaluated by Dr. Nina Rose Fischer, a professor at CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice. The evaluations from 2018 and 2019 showed positive results, including:
- Better understanding of harm reduction
- Increased knowledge about alcohol, marijuana, and opioids
- Improved ability to detect and respond to drug overdoses
Getting Addiction Help at Renaissance Recovery
Addiction can impact anyone, whatever their background. If you or a loved one need help dealing with drug or alcohol abuse, reach out to Renaissance Recovery.
We have rehabs in California and Florida that handle all types of addictions and mental health issues in an outpatient setting. This means you can get the help you need without stepping away from your job and daily life. We also offer more intense outpatient programs if you require more support.
If you need help to safely stop using drugs or alcohol, we can help you find detox centers in California and Florida.
At Renaissance, we offer personal care that includes:
- Different kinds of therapy (like CBT and DBT)
- Help with medications
- Natural treatments
- Family therapy
- Group therapy
- One-on-one therapy
- Ongoing support after treatment
Call our recovery experts for immediate help at 866.330.9449.
