Give Me A Break!

GOVERNMENT KEEPS FUNDING DARE AND SIMILAR PROGRAMS, EVEN THOUGH STUDIES
SHOW THEY DON'T WORK

BARBARA WALTERS, host:

What do you do with an idea that doesn't work? Well if you're the
government you keep putting more money into it, at least that's what
John Stossel contends in tonight's GIVE ME A BREAK!

JOHN STOSSEL reporting:

I do contend that, Barbara, because that's what's happening with the
biggest, most expensive anti-drug program in America. It's not
keeping kids from using drugs, but the government keeps pouring more
of your money into it.

Unidentified Man #1: His name is Froggy. Can you say, 'Good morning,
Froggy'?

Unidentified Group of Children #1: Good morning, Froggy.

STOSSEL: (VO) For two decades the experts have come into schools to
warn the kids about drugs.

Man #1: And what does that look like?

Group of Children #1: An M&M.

Man #1: An M&M. Guess what?

Unidentified Child #1: It is an M&M.

Man #1: That's a drug.

Group of Children #1: Ooh!

STOSSEL: (VO) This and the "Just Say No" parade supposedly will deter
kids from using.

Unidentified Child #2: Just say no!

Unidentified Police Officer #1: Whatever it is you guys are
into...

STOSSEL: (VO) And the biggest anti-drug program in America is DARE.
It stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education. The government gives
DARE hundreds of millions of your tax dollars, which DARE spends on
signs and T-shirts and on assembling groups of kids and teaching them
to chant anti-drug slogans.

Unidentified Woman: This side say 'DARE.'

Unidentified Group of Children #2: Drug-free!

Unidentified Group of Children #3: DARE!

Group of Children #2: Drug-free!

Group of Children #3: DARE!

STOSSEL: (VO) Most of the money goes to put cops in classrooms to tell
kids to...

Unidentified Police Officer #2: Just say no. Real simple.

STOSSEL: (VO) DARE is now used in most of America's schools, taking up
lots of police time and kids' learning time. But does it work? Does
it deter drug use? Astonishingly, no. Although DARE's claimed
short-term success, we now have more than a dozen long-term studies,
most recently from the surgeon general and National Academy of Science
saying DARE does not work to reduce substance use. One study found
DARE students use drugs slightly more often. DARE's response?

Mr. GLENN LEVANT (President, DARE America): DARE is evolving as
research tells us what is the most effective techniques to use with
children.

Unidentified Man #2: When I say drugs, you say no.

STOSSEL: (VO) Oh, good, they're evolving. And while they evolve, you
keep paying for it, though you don't get much for your money. Teen
drug use shows no signs of declining. Some drug educators say it's
because the message programs like DARE and others teach isn't realistic.

(Clip shown from anti-drug commercial)

STOSSEL: (VO) It's a powerful ad but it doesn't connect with the
reality young people see: their peers experimenting with drugs and not
frying their brain, and all the celebrities who acknowledge they've
used drugs and yet they're successful.

Mr. JOEL BROWN (PhD, Center for Educational Research & Development):
By the time young people enter about seventh or eighth grade, they
come to believe that they're not being told the truth about drugs.

STOSSEL: (VO) DARE now at least admits there's a problem and says it
will do the most significant revision of the program. Wonderful. But
this is now the 10th revision. None has been proven to work. Yet you
still pay so kids in 80 percent of America's school districts will do
this once a week for 17 weeks.

Police Officer #2: You should have a book all about
self-esteem.

STOSSEL: (VO) GIVE ME A BREAK!

WALTERS: Well, John, what do you think they should
do?

STOSSEL: Oh, I think they should either find programs that do work or
do nothing. But they shouldn't throw public money at programs that
don't work.

WALTERS: And you don't think that this is better than
nothing?

STOSSEL: No, it makes...

WALTERS: It might affect somebody.

STOSSEL: It might. It might make it worse because kids stop believing
it. It makes us all feel good because we don't want kids to use drugs,
but that's not a good way to make policy.

WALTERS: Well, if you have an idea or you disagree with John or agree
with John, let us know by visiting John's Web page at
abcnews.com.

(Commercial break)

WALTERS: That's our program for tonight. We thank you for joining us,
and I thank you for bearing with me with this voice. Remember, we're
in touch, so you be in touch.

I'm Barbara Walters. For all of us at 20/20, have a safe and
wonderful holiday weekend. Good night.