I've seen two tables with D.A.R.E on the linen at two different locations recently. And I recalled how divisive that program was.
The program is resurfacing in the Bay Area and likely other parts of the country. I was walking home when I saw one of them stare directly at me. So I did the only thing I knew what to do to get them to leave me alone: I laughed as he started his spiel and very loudly said "DARE is back?! What a fuckin' joke!"
And it is a joke. Well, not the haha kind, unfortunately. From what I remember growing up in the 90s, this was the group that parroted Nancy Reagan's "just say no" philosophy, and according to Teen Vogue, they just made shit up. This program was another version of Richard Nixon's War on Drugs, which was incredibly misguided and did much more harm than good.
I remember a cop coming to one of my Boy Scout Troop meetings when I was around 12 (about 2001) and did a docile version of the Scared Straight Method. He talked about how marijuana is a gateway drug (it's not) and how it WILL in fact get you hooked on harder drugs (again, it won't).
This is also the same group that would have young adults in their 20s and 30s singing rap songs about why drugs are bad. White young adults. South Park made fun of them pretty hard for a while.
This new version will get no sympathy from me at all. I believe this is just a rebrand, and I don't know if they're basing what they say off of science this time. Because they sure didn't last time!
But if you're reading this and wondering if it was REALLY that bad, and what the harm could be, please dig a bit more. Don't just take my word for it. I'm one voice shouting "this is copaganda!" and you should put on your critical thinking hat. There's one other article I found that covers some of the origins of D.A.R.E., though as I type this I've only skimmed it. It's this Filter article and it is essentially an interview about a book on the War on Drugs.
I want to end on a silly note (and there will be). I just wanted to get some of my thoughts out while it's all fresh in my head. In conclusion: there ARE harmful drugs. But DARE made it seem like ALL drugs are bad in all cases. And it was a way to force police officers into schools. This was an awful idea back in the 80s, and is not helpful now. This whole program is connected to Richard Nixon, Nancy Reagan, and a police chief from Los Angeles. This is a perfect storm of propaganda.