ArhumAhmed

3.24.16
ft8815
GroupE

PolicyPaper|DrugAbuseAmongsttheYouth

Drugabusehasabeenacommonproblemincitiesforthegreaterpartofthelastcentury
especiallyinwesterncountriesliketheUnitedStates.Whereascannabisuseisthemostcommon
drugusedinmostcities,Detroitdifferswithheroinandcrackcocainebeingthemostcommonly
useddrug1.TherearemanyfactorsthatmaketheyouthinDetroitincrediblysusceptibleto
engaginginrecreationaldruguse.Manyseekreliefindrugsinordertoescapetheir
povertystrickenlives.Othersmaybeinfluencedbywatchingtheirfriendsandfamilydoit.With
povertyandunemploymenthighinDetroit,somechildrenareforcedtobecomethemain
breadwinnersinthehouseholdandaredrawnintothedrugdealingindustrypromiseofquick
money,respect,andhappiness.Oneofthemostcriticalcausesforthisboomingissueisthelack
ofeducation.Datasuggeststhemosteffectivepreventiontechniqueistoteachchildrenthe
dangersofthedrugs.2Whilemanyhavesomeidea,theyareoftenunsureandconfusedduetothe
prevalenceandseeminglyacceptabilityintheircommunity.Tacklingdrugabuseintheyouthis
keytoensuringhighergraduationrates,economicprosperity,anddefeatingthestigmathat
Detroitisacityforcriminals.

Therehavebeenmanyattemptsbyorganizationstostemtheflowofdrugabusecoming
fromvariousorganizationsandlevels.PrivategroupssuchasD.A.R.E(DrugAbuseResistance
Education)havehelpedbringinternationalattentiontothedangersofdrugabuseamongstthe

1
2

Arfken,CynthiaL."Detroit,WayneCounty,andMichigan."
Detroit,WayneCounty,andMichigan
.NationalInstituteonDrugAbuse

Haaga,John,RichardScott,andJenniferHawesDawson."DrugPreventionintheSchools."Preface.
DrugUseintheDetroit
MetropolitanArea:Problems,Programs,andPolicyOptions


ArhumAhmed
3.24.16
ft8815
GroupE

youthandofferssolutionsviaeducation.Theorganizationboastsitscampaignissosuccessful,
thattheprogramisbeingimplementedin75%ofAmericasschooldistricts.3Othergroups
operateonfederalandstatelevelssuchasMichigansSubstanceAbusePreventionand
Treatmentdepartment.Thesetendtotacklebroaderformsofsubstanceabuseandaredirectly
fundedbylocalandfederalgovernmentsmeaningtheireffectivenesscandifferfromstateto
state.
TheD.A.R.E.campaignwasthefirstamongstthecivicspheretoattractsignificantmedia
attention.Arguingthattheincreaseindrugabuseintheyouthwasmainlyduetoalackof
education,thegroupsoughttohaveschoolsallowthemtovisitandgiveabrieflessononthe
dangersofdrugs.
Somebarriersthecampaignhadtoovercomeweredruglawsputintoplacebythe
Reaganadministration.AlthoughtheselawswerecreatedtoreducedrugabuseinAmerica,they
werenotonlyineffective,butharmfultothousandsofnonviolentdrugoffenders.Manypeople
whowereaddictedtodrugsandneededhelpwereinsteadconvictedandincarceratedwith
lengthyprisontimesduetofederalminimumsandthreestrikesandyoureoutlaws4.In
addition,theselawsweredisportionatelyharmingAfricanAmericans.Lawenforcementwould
targetAfricanAmericansmuchmorethanWhiteAmericansandwouldoftenreceiveharsher
sentences.Aninterestingexampleoftheselawsonlyharmingacertaintypeofpeoplewas
Reagansowndaughterbeingaddictedtococaine,however,shewasneverprosecuted5.These
lawshelpedfosterracialtensionsbetweenAfricanAmericansandlawenforcement.Thiswasa
"AboutD.A.R.E."
D.A.R.E.America
.D.A.R.E.America,n.d.Web.20Mar.2016.
Kraft,MichaelE.,&Furlong,ScottR.2010.Publicpolicy:Politics,analysis,andalternatives(3rded.).Washington,DC:CQ
Press,Chapter5(129).
5
Newman,Tony."NancyReagan'sRoleintheDisastrousWaronDrugs."
TheHuffingtonPost
.TheHuffingtonPost.com,n.d.
Web.22Mar.2016.
3
4


ArhumAhmed
3.24.16
ft8815
GroupE

significantstructuretheD.A.R.E.campaignhadtodealwithasitwaslocalpoliceofficerswho
cameintoteachthechildrenaboutdrugs.ManyAfricanAmericanssawlawenforcementasthe
enemyandlawenforcementwouldoftenseeAfricanAmericansasthecriminals.Theselaws
alsocreatedbarriersinreachingouttopeoplewhowerealreadydoingdrugs.Thosewhohad
previouslybeenconvictedhadadifficulttimefindingjobsorcompletingtheireducationbecause
oftheheavydrugconvictionfinesandthepermanentcriminaloffenseontheirrecord.Withno
jobandlittlemoneyandeducation,therewaslittleincentiveforthesepeopletostopdoingdrugs.
Eveneducatingthemonthelongtermdangersofdrugswereineffectiveastheywereonly
concernedwiththeshorttermhighstheyweregetting.Anotherstructurethatposedasabarrier
forthecampaignwasthelowcostofsubstanceslikecrackcocaineandcannabis.Cheaperand
easiermethodsofcreatingthemoredangerousderivative,crackcocaine,madeiteasyand
accessibleforyoungpeopletogooutandbuydrugswithoutanyoneknowing.

AlthoughD.A.R.Ecampaignmadeitswayinto75%ofthenationsschooldistricts,its
effectivenesswashotlycontested.By1991,therewereanumberofindependentstudieswhich
indicatedthatstudentswhowentthroughtheD.A.R.Eprogramwerenomorelikelytoresist
drugsthanthosewhodidnot.6 Themultimilliondollarorganizationwasnotstruggling
financiallytobeeffective,rather,theircurriculumwasdescribedbysocialscientistsasonly
focusingonshorttermgoals.7D.A.R.Erefusedtochangetheircurriculumuntil2009whentheir
fundingstarteddiminishingrapidly.PartoftheproblemwasthattheD.A.R.Ecampaignmade

Cima,Rosie."DARE:TheAntiDrugProgramThatNeverActuallyWorked."
Priceonomics
.N.p.,n.d.Web.22Mar.2016.

Ibid


ArhumAhmed
3.24.16
ft8815
GroupE

senseandwaslogicalwhichmadeitdifficultforpeopletoacceptthatitwasnteffective.8 There
werealsomanyanecdotalclaimsthatpraisedthecampaignseffectivenessusingpersonaland
emotionalaccountsofhowD.A.R.Esavedtheirkidslife.Inaddition,peoplewantedD.A.R.Eto
workandwouldtwistfactstomakeitso.PoliticianswouldoftenpraiseD.A.R.Easameansof
gainingpopularsupportshowingthattheywereconcernedaboutdrugabuseamongsttheyouth
andwantedtofightitthrougheducation.Itwasalsodifficulttocriticizeanorganizationwhose
solepurposewastohelpkidsresistdoingdrugs.Eveniftherewasdatashowingits
ineffectiveness,peoplewouldarguethecriticswerepartofthedrugcartelorhadnoconcern
withAmericasrisingdrugproblem.9

EventhoughtheD.A.R.Ecampaignwasafailure,itwasaveryimportantstepinthepath
toeliminatingAmericasdrugproblem.Thecampaignhadhelpedtheissueofdrugabusecome
tolightinthemediaandthenationspolitics.Itbecameanimportantissuepoliticianswould
debateonandevenpromptedothercountriesaroundtheworldtostarttheirowninitiativesto
curbsubstanceabuse.Thiscampaignprovidesmanylessonsfornextgenerationantidrug
organizationstoutilize.Ratherrelyingonscientificdata,D.A.R.E.remainedadamantthattheir
programwouldhelppeoplesimplybytellingkidsthatdrugswerenotcoolandweredangerous.
Therearecountlessstudiesbeingpublishednowcitingnewandeffectivewaystodealingwith
thisissue.Oneexampleispromptingthegovernmenttohelpunderfundedschoolslikemanyin
Detroit.Givingstudentsandtheirschooltheresourcesnecessarytobesuccessfulinlifeisahuge
deterrentintheirlikelihoodtoengageinsubstanceabuse.Somethingthecampaignwas
8
9

Ibid
Ibid


ArhumAhmed
3.24.16
ft8815
GroupE

successfulinwasitscountrywideimplementationinschools.Thiswasmainlyduetothe
campaignsassertionthatpreventingkidsfromtryingdrugsinthefirstplacewasthemost
effectiveandcostefficientwaytodealwiththedrugproblem.Thecountrycouldsavelarge
amountsofmoneyandresourcesonincarceratingnonviolentoffendersandenforcementby
simplyeducatingkidsnottrydrugsatall.Despiteitsinitialineffectiveness,theD.A.R.E.
campaignpavedthewayontheroadtotacklingdrugabuseamongsttheyouthinaproductive
way.

Citations:
"AboutD.A.R.E."
D.A.R.E.America
.D.A.R.E.America,n.d.Web.20Mar.2016.


ArhumAhmed
3.24.16
ft8815
GroupE

Arfken,CynthiaL."Detroit,WayneCounty,andMichigan."
Detroit,WayneCounty,and
Michigan
.NationalInstituteonDrugAbuse
Cima,Rosie."DARE:TheAntiDrugProgramThatNeverActuallyWorked."
Priceonomics
.
N.p.,n.d.Web.22Mar.2016.
Haaga,John,RichardScott,andJenniferHawesDawson."DrugPreventionintheSchools."
Preface.
DrugUseintheDetroitMetropolitanArea:Problems,Programs,andPolicyOptions
.
SantaMonica,CA:RAND,DrugPolicyResearchCenter,1992.Vii.Print.
Kraft,MichaelE.,&Furlong,ScottR.2010.Publicpolicy:Politics,analysis,andalternatives
(3rded.).Washington,DC:CQPress,Chapter5(120144).
Newman,Tony."NancyReagan'sRoleintheDisastrousWaronDrugs."TheHuffingtonPost.
TheHuffingtonPost.com,n.d.Web.22Mar.2016.