23. DARE Was Based on the Idea that Awareness Would Equal Avoidance
The leading theory behind D.A.R.E. is that the more officials made children aware of drugs, the less they would use drugs in the future. The main idea for the program was to let children know about the perils of alcohol, cigarettes, and other substances so they would become less likely to use them.
D.A.R.E President Frank Pegueros stated, “Everyone believed that if you just told students how harmful these substances and behaviors were – they’d stay away from them.” Unfortunately, this theory is wrong as statistics showed this theory is ineffective.