Many drug and alcohol prevention programs are developed for children between kindergarten and college age. The reasons are clear. Twenty-nine percent of teens in treatment, according to an Above the Influence report, are dependent on prescription medications--drugs that are legal to have, but dangerously addictive. Getting these programs into schools and getting families involved can greatly impact a child's future.
DARE
DARE, the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program, was developed by the police chief of Los Angeles in 1983. Its mission is to encourage young people to lead lives outside of gangs, avoid violence and stay drug-free.
Today, DARE can be found in about 75 percent of school districts and more than 220 communities around the country. Police officers go through 80-plus hours of training in child development, classroom management and communication skills so they can go to schools and talk to children ranging in age from five to 18. They teach children how to identify and resist peer pressure. More importantly, the officers connect with the children and let them see the person behind the badge. Many at-risk youth see the police as the enemy and DARE works to challenge that perception.
The Journal of the National Medical Association published a study in 2002 indicating that children in DARE programs are five times less likely to smoke tobacco--considered a gateway substance by Glenn Levant, a founding director of DARE- and had a significantly higher understanding of the risks of smoking, compared to those not in DARE.
Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America
The Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) trains communities to evaluate their unique issues with substance abuse, gangs, violence and crime and develop strategies to keep children drug-free. CADCA is among the country's leading drug and alcohol prevention programs with more than 5,000 community coalitions.
CADCA partners with national, federal, corporate and international organizations in order to cast the largest net possible and involve communities everywhere. Along with the Academy of Pediatrics, State Association of Addiction Services, and corporate sponsors like DirecTV, CADCA can help to shape drug policy, organize training events, and acquire the financial support needed to achieve these goals.
The Ambassadors Program, one of CADCA's many community efforts, goes into economically-challenged neighborhoods and mentors kids in drug prevention strategies. They also hold a yearly essay and art competition called Got Outcomes.
Too Smart to Start
Too Smart to Start is a program endorsed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The program uses research-based strategies to inform community leaders and volunteers on how to design grassroots drug and alcohol prevention programs. Materials provided by the Too Smart to Start website are designed to help children understand the risks of drug and alcohol abuse.
Too Smart to Start helps children, families, caregivers and communities prevent underage drug and alcohol abuse. The program provides research-based strategies and materials designed to educate teens and tweens about the dangers of substances. Program objectives include increasing conversations between children and caregivers about the harms of underage alcohol use and increase disapproval among the public about underage drinking.
The Reach Out Now National Teach-In, partnered with Scholastic publishing, is a program for middle schoolers. Using colorful posters and engaging comic-book style materials, RON helps teachers to open dialog with students and parents about the harms of underage alcohol use. It teaches children how to make positive decisions and live a healthy lifestyle. The program also helps communities organize town hall meetings to give parents information on new research about underage drug and alcohol use and its impact on families and towns.
