by Joseph F. Donnermeyer and G. Howard Phillips

About the authors: Joseph F. Donnermeyer is an associate professor of agricultural education at Ohio State University in Columbus. G. Howard Phillips is a professor emeritus of agriculture at Ohio State University.

Does D.A.R.E. make a difference in students’ attitudes and behavior in the use of alcohol and drugs? To answer this question, 11th grade students were selected as the study population because they were old enough to have been confronted with opportunities to use alcohol, marijuana and hard drugs. Also, some students of this age would have had the opportunity to participate in the D.A.R.E. program at the elementary, junior high and senior high levels. Altogether, 3,150 11th grade students participated in this statewide assessment of D.A.R.E., funded by...