This video presents a critical exposé of the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program, challenging the conventional understanding of its widely acknowledged failure. It argues that DARE's ineffectiveness was not merely an accident but a consequence of its controversial origins, deeply intertwined with former LAPD Chief Daryl Gates's efforts to expand police power, circumvent surveillance laws, and cultivate a "dark money" financial network. The investigation reveals DARE's board of directors was populated by billionaires, multi-millionaires, and individuals with questionable backgrounds, suggesting the program prioritized influence and financial gain over drug prevention efficacy. The video highlights how DARE allegedly served as a means for police to maintain presence in schools, potentially using children as informants, and aggressively suppressed any research or journalism that exposed its shortcomings. Ultimately, the analysis concludes that DARE operated more like a "hustle" or multi-level marketing scheme, with its recent resurgence and reform ironically involving a researcher from the very drug prevention program Gates initially disregarded.
Unmasking DARE: Power, Profits, and Policing in American Schools
0:00 DARE's Widespread Failure: The DARE program, implemented in 75% of American school districts by 1995, sent police officers into elementary schools to teach drug resistance. However, studies (e.g., by 2:30) later consistently showed it was ineffective, with some even indicating that DARE students were more likely to experiment with drugs.
0:13 Controversial Board Composition: The 2001 DARE board of directors was comprised of a highly influential, yet ethically questionable, group including billionaires, multi-millionaires, lawyers, and police officials, some of whom had criminal records, were involved in corruption scandals, or had links to illicit activities and high-profile conspiracy theories.
0:46 Intentional Ineffectiveness: Before DARE's launch, researchers from Project Smart (a predecessor program) explicitly warned LAPD Chief Daryl Gates that a key component of their curriculum was ineffective and increased drug experimentation likelihood. Despite this, DARE incorporated this flawed component, suggesting efficacy was not its primary goal.
0:51 Daryl Gates's Influence and Surveillance History: The video links DARE's creation to LAPD Chief Daryl Gates, known for his authoritarian nature, paranoia, and extensive use of police intelligence divisions (PDI) to spy on citizens, journalists, civil rights groups, and politicians, even internationally.
1:10 Circumventing Surveillance Laws: In the wake of Watergate and new laws limiting government surveillance, Gates allegedly funneled LAPD intelligence files to a private entity, the Western Goals Foundation, to bypass legal restrictions and continue covert operations.
2:20 "Dark Money" and Police Foundations: DARE formed as a private non-profit, enabling it to accept "dark money" donations from individuals and corporations (like KFC) who would otherwise be restricted from donating directly to police departments. This structure allowed for alleged "kickbacks" and influence.
2:36 Questionable Financial Backers: DARE received significant funding from controversial figures, notably Michael Milken, the "junk bond king," who was later indicted for financial crimes and served community service hours at DARE following his conviction.
2:41 DARE as an Informant System: Despite official policies, DARE's curriculum elements, such as a "confidentiality box" (2:58), led to children confiding in officers about drug use in their homes, resulting in cases where kids turned in their own parents, who were subsequently arrested.
2:58 Suppression of Criticism: DARE aggressively protected its image, refusing to publish government-funded studies that found it ineffective (28:05), attempting to intimidate academic journals (28:41) and television networks, and coordinating public backlash against critical journalists.
3:09 Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) Structure: DARE's decentralized business model, which focused on training officers to raise money and expand the program through recruiting more officers, resembled a multi-level marketing scheme, even having Herbalife's founder on its board.
3:18 Board Scandals and Collapse: The original DARE board eventually dissolved due to various scandals, including financial indictments (Milken), high-profile arrests (Michael Jackson), and the loss of federal funding due to its proven ineffectiveness.
3:40 The Irony of DARE's Resurgence: After admitting its previous program's failure, DARE launched a new, seemingly more effective curriculum. Ironically, this new program was evaluated by William B. Hansen (38:47), one of the original researchers from Project Smart, the program whose findings Gates initially rejected when creating DARE.