The effects of drugs and alcohol take away many things from a person's life. Some of the negative effects of drug and alcohol abuse may be their health, their family, and money. 

Imagine being an innocent little girl watching your mother come close to death due to alcoholism and narcotics. After watching her constantly suffer on a hospital bed from seizures and withdrawal, the results end up being relapse after relapse into various rehab centers. A point comes when she must re-evaluate the situation at hand. Her mother was never given an education about the long-term effects of the addiction towards substances. The D.A.R.E program (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) is a school-based substance abuse, gang and violence prevention program (ProCon 1); its goal is to convey their evidence-led program certified by the SAMHSA to minors for the prevention of drug and alcohol use.  Because of the valuable information the D.A.R.E program offers to students around the world, it’s worth the money being spent and it is effective in its practices.

First of all, money can be a concerning issue. There are families that are possibly struggling to get by with our over run economy. However knowledge costs money, just like how people pay to go to colleges. An average 4 year public college costs at least $22,000 (AIE 1). If families can fork out thousands of dollars for the ending of their children’s education, the slim cost of the D.A.R.E program can easily be worked into any family’s budget. The cost of approximately $125 per student is close to nothing compared to other scholarly costs (ProCon 1). With these expenses in mind, it truly is a low cost. Considering the travel, training, and materials, the minimal charge is understandable. Once the parents are made aware of the all of benefits coming from their kids experiencing this program, it then becomes popular with the kids and parents.
 
It is true that it is better to obtain the knowledge than to have no knowledge regarding drugs and alcohol. Many students around the age of puberty and rebellion are unaware of the major facts and medically dangerous effects about the drugs they could be consuming. For example: if one person knows that the snake is poisonous, then they won't go near it. One cannot disregard the fact that if the students know about the damaging effects of drugs and alcohol rather than being completely blindsided, they'll be less tempted to fall under the spell of substance abuse.

Although some data showed that there was a 3-5% increase among some of the students who did partake in the program; one should know that perfection is impossible (ProCon 1). Obtaining one hundred percent success is impossible. Depending on circumstances, accidents do happen. One of the human flaws is that perfection is impossible. Rather than trying to achieve complete success, doing one’s best is the most effective way. This is the goal of D.A.R.E. Even though there are are some individuals who will continue using substances after the lessons of D.A.R.E, they still continue to strongly believe if one person’s decision has been impacted, it is worthwhile. Just because of the fact all students won’t take the program to heart doesn’t mean it isn’t worth the trouble.

Adolescence is the time of growth and experience. It is also a time for teenagers to grow up. During that process, they are the most susceptible to drugs and alcohol. May the reason be peer pressure, manipulative propaganda, accidents, etc. Because the frontal cortex of the human brain is still in development during this time; the front cortex controls a person’s ability to make rational decisions. According to the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, due to the fact that the frontal cortex of the brain is underdeveloped, teenagers are more likely to, “act on impulse, engage in dangerous behavior” and less likely to, “pause and consider the potential consequences of their actions” (1-2). Even though this cannot be accounted for all excuses and reasoning for involvement in drugs and alcohol; nevertheless, parents have to take precautions and extreme care for their children especially during this time.

Adolescence is also a time where emotions and raw feelings roam. It is the most vulnerable period of time in a child’s life. Therefore, much more work and help will be needed to guide them towards the right path. Of course prevention is not always perfectly effective, but taking the precaution is a better choice than taking risks.

Knowledge is paid with money. Because after all, we pay money to go to school to learn. What one gets out of this program is knowledge. All in all, the most rational attempt to prevent our young children from straying off to drugs and alcohol; the D.A.R.E program offers a higher possibility of prevention against the damaging consequences of drugs and alcohol. One must not give up because it is impossible. One must not give up because it is difficult. One must not feel defeated. Through perseverance and the will to do all one can, a better future is one step closer.