How Effective Is Drug Abuse Resistance Education? A Meta- Analysis of Project DARE Outcome Evaluations

• NCJ Number: 152840
• Journal: American Journal of Public Health Volume: 84 Issue: 9 Dated: (September 1994) Pages: 1394-1401
• Author(s): S T Ennett; N S Tobler; C L Ringwalt; R L Flewelling
• Date Published: 1994
• Length: 8 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Free online PDF and HTML access to the American Journal of Public Health is provided by the publisher 24 months after individual issues are released.

Annotation

Project DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) is the most widely used school-based drug prevention program in the United States, but project evaluations of its effectiveness have not been considered collectively.

Abstract

The current study used meta-analytic techniques to review eight methodologically rigorous DARE evaluations. Weighted effect size means for several short-term outcomes were compared with means reported for other drug prevention programs. The DARE effect size for drug use behavior ranged from 0.00 to 0.11 across the eight studies. The weighted mean for drug use across studies was 0.06. For all outcomes considered, DARE effect size means were substantially smaller than those of programs emphasizing social and general competencies and using interactive teaching strategies. The authors conclude that DARE's short-term effectiveness in reducing or preventing drug use behavior is small and is less than that for interactive prevention programs. The core curriculum of DARE is described, and additional research is recommended to determine if DARE has delayed effects on drug use behavior once students reach higher grades. Appendixes include bibliographies of DARE and comparison program