A number of researchers have long said the drug-prevention program Drug Abuse Resistance Education, or D.A.R.E., is ineffective. Now how about some anecdotal evidence?
ROBIN MEADE FOR HLN: "A guy wearing a D.A.R.E. anti-drug T-shirt was arrested during a drug bust."
What began as a routine traffic stop in Louisiana turned into a drug bust when police found stolen firearms and nearly 25 grams of pot in the vehicle. (Video via KSLA)
Others sporting D.A.R.E merchandise have been tied to drug activity before. Here are a few instances...
Earlier this year, police in New York arrested a man they accused of hiding marijuana, cocaine, and LSD inside a D.A.R.E. stuffed animal.
In June, an Auburn University football player was arrested on suspicion of marijuana possession only days after speaking at D.A.R.E. camp.
And back in 2009, police arrested a couple on suspicion of drug trafficking in Pennsylvania. One of the suspects was wearing a D.A.R.E. shirt.
The scientific community has voiced skepticism of the D.A.R.E. program for decades now.
A 1992 Indiana University study found those who had completed the program had significantly higher rates of hallucinogenic drug use than those who had not.
A 1995 report to the California Department of Education concluded the state's drug prevention programs, including D.A.R.E., don't work.
And in 2001 the U.S. surgeon general listed D.A.R.E. in the category of "Ineffective Primary Prevention Programs."
D.A.R.E. leaders revamped the program in 2009 in an attempt to improve its effectiveness. The organization received help from university researchers to develop a new approach.
A September article in Scientific American points out the curriculum "differs in both form and content from the former D.A.R.E.—replacing long, drug-fact laden lectures with interactive lessons that present stories meant to help kids make smart decisions."
The program continues to remain popular. Its website boasts it's been implemented in 75 percent of the nation's school districts and in more than 43 countries.
This video includes images from Getty Images, Aberdeen Proving Ground / CC BY 2.0 and KurtClark / CC BY 2.0.
