Drug Abuse Resistance Education

The D.A.R.E. program was developed in 1983 as a cooperative effort by the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles Unified School District, to teach children how to resist peer pressure and live productive, drug- and violence-free lives. 

Employing a formal, semester-long curriculum, and using well-trained, uniformed police officers to teach in the classrooms, D.A.R.E. focuses special attention on students who are in their last years of elementary school, who are not yet likely to be led by their peers to experiment with alcohol, tobacco, and drugs and therefore more receptive to prevention education. 

HPD brought the D.A.R.E. program to the island of Oahu in 1985.  The pilot program began in four elementary schools.  Over the years, the teaching methods and curriculum have been updated.  Curriculum that were added to the program addressed issues such as bullying, internet safety, and over-the-counter drugs. The information, principles, and skills taught through activities within the lessons help to build the students’ abilities to solve difficult personal and social problems related to substance use and abuse.  This enables students to make decisions that are informed and in their best interest.

Law enforcement personnel on every island in the state teach the D.A.R.E. curriculum.