title: Prescription drug abuse information in D.A.R.E.
abstract: This investigation was designed to examine prescription drug-related content and learning objectives in Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) for upper elementary and middle schools. Specific prescription-drug topics and context associated with content and objectives were coded. The coding system for topics included 126 topics organized within 14 categories. A two-dimensional coding system for context identified Use versus Abuse and Explicit versus Implicit references to prescription drugs. Results indicated that content and objectives found in D.A.R.E. represent a very narrow breadth of prescription drug topics. Moreover, all prescription-drug related content and objectives were presented in an Abuse-Implicit context. Although some educational material in D.A.R.E. modules potentially is related to prescription drugs, none of the content or objectives explicitly identify drugs discussed as prescription drugs. If elementary and middle schools rely on D.A.R.E. modules to teach students about drug abuse, students are likely to be underinformed about prescription drug risks.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Education & Behavior, University of Florida, Gainesville 32611-8211, USA. mmorris@hhp.ufl.edu
authors.forename: Melissa C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: Rebecca J Welch
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Cline
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Weiler
authors.forename: S Camille
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Broadway
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003479:Curriculum; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012572:School Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders
chemical_list: D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations