A retrospective study of DARE: Substantive effects not detected in undergraduates

This retrospective study examined the long-term effects of DARE by assessing substance use among undergraduates (N=630) attending a large public university in Ohio. Data were collected by an anonymous survey administered in a stratified random sample of undergraduate classes. The results revealed that among those respondents one to six years beyond high school, 62.5% had participated in DARE as a child or teenager, 30.6% had not participated in the program, and 6.7% were uncertain. Results from a multiple discriminant analysis found that after accounting for the effects of age, there were no substantial group differences in substance use. Participation in the DARE program during elementary school, middle school, or high school did not appear to deter subsequent use in the under graduate years. These finding add to a growing literature that questions the efficacy of the DARE program. Discussion is directed to the possible consequences of DARE participation among those undergraduates who subsequently use tobacco, alcohol or other drugs.