Drug Education

There are many forms of drug education in American schools. Today the most commonly used drug education program is Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE), which operates in about 80 percent of American school districts. Hundreds of other programs designed to decrease illicit drug use also exist, some of them proven effective by vigorous, long-term research. There is no federal requirement that forces states to use DARE; however, governors are mandated to use funds toward the Law Enforcement Education Partnership (LEEP), effectively funding DARE and other drug education programs. Recent federal activity suggests that there is a push to make drug use reduction education a federal responsibility. This entry looks at drug education programs and research on their effectiveness.