LONG-TERM IMPACT OF DRUG-ABUSE RESISTANCE EDUCATION (DARE) - RESULTS OF A 6-YEAR FOLLOW-UP

The long-term effectiveness of Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R. E.) was assessed by contrasting drug use and other D.A.R.E.-related at titudinal latent variables among 356 twelfth-grade students who had re ceived the program in the 6th grade with 264 others who did not receiv e it. A prior study of these subjects when they were in 9th grade had shown no significant differences. A follow-up survey in 12th grade ass essed central D.A.R.E. concepts such as self-esteem police bonds, dela y of experimentation with drugs, and various forms of drug use. Althou gh the authors found no relationship between prior D.A.R.E. participat ion and later alcohol use, cigarette smoking, or marijuana use in 12th grade, there was a significant relationship between earlier D.A.R.E. participation and less use of illegal, more deviant drugs (e.g., inhal ants, cocaine, LSD) in a development sample but not in a validation sa mple. Findings from the two studies suggest a possible sleeper effect for D.A.R.E. in reference to the use of harder drugs, especially among teenage males.