DARE, which stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education, is a well-known anti-drug program that was implemented in schools across the United States starting in the 1980s. While the official DARE program focuses on drug prevention education, the acronym DARE has taken on additional meanings in slang terminology over the years.
Some key questions around the slang meanings of DARE include:
What does the slang term DARE actually stand for?
The most common slang meanings of DARE are:
– Drugs Are Really Excellent
– Drugs Are Really Enjoyable
– Don’t Add Rules to Education
So in slang, DARE takes on a more positive meaning related to drugs or an anti-establishment meaning.
How did DARE get an alternative slang meaning?
DARE’s widespread name recognition among multiple generations of students lent itself to being co-opted into an alternate slang term. The ironic repurposing of the acronym into a pro-drug message was a countercultural response by some students.
When did the slang use of DARE become popular?
The slang version of DARE seems to have arisen in the 1990s and 2000s, after the official DARE program had been implemented for years. The popularization of the internet during this time period allowed the ironic slang meaning to spread rapidly among students and youth culture.
Where is the slang term DARE used?
The slang meaning of DARE is widely known among students and younger demographics, particularly in the United States where DARE was most prominent. It is often seen in memes and jokes online, as well as in slang conversation among teens and young adults discussing drugs recreationally.
Is the slang use of DARE still popular today?
While awareness of the traditional DARE program has declined today, the slang meaning of DARE persists as a recognizable shorthand for a pro-drug message. However, it has largely become an artifact of 1990s and 2000s youth counterculture rather than a commonly used phrase.
History of the DARE Program
The Drug Abuse Resistance Education program, better known by its acronym DARE, was founded in 1983 as a collaborative effort between police officers and school administrators in Los Angeles. The program quickly spread across the United States and other parts of the world as concerns over youth drug use increased. Here is an overview of the program’s history and purpose:
Original Aims
DARE was conceived as a prevention program to combat drug use among schoolchildren. It focused on teaching students decision-making skills, self-esteem, and alternatives to substance use through an interactive curriculum led by local police officers. DARE’s popularity skyrocketed through the “Just Say No” anti-drug climate of the 1980s and 1990s.
Peak Years
By the late 1990s, DARE programs were being implemented in around 75% of US school districts, as well as in over 40 countries globally. DARE America reported teaching 26 million US students per year and having a presence in 43% of the nation’s schools. The widespread name recognition helped cement DARE’s status as one of the most visible anti-drug youth programs.
Shifting Attitudes
In the 1990s and 2000s, attitudes began to shift around the effectiveness of DARE. Some critics argued its curriculum and tactics were outdated, while studies suggested the program had little long-term impact on drug use. These factors led to a decline in DARE’s popularity, though it remains active today on a smaller scale. Only around 10% of US schools now host DARE programs compared to its peak decades ago.
Updated Approach
In response to changing attitudes, DARE has updated its curriculum over the years to align with current research. The program places more emphasis on interactive discussion, teaching decision-making skills beyond drugs, and promoting general mental wellbeing. While DARE is no longer as ubiquitous as its heyday, it continues working to remain relevant.
The Slang Meaning of DARE
The widespread familiarity of DARE’s acronym lent itself to repurposing by 1990s counterculture, especially as the program faced growing criticism. Here is an overview of how DARE became an ironic slang term:
Drugs Are Really Excellent
One of the earliest and most popular slang meanings of DARE stands for “Drugs Are Really Excellent.” This was a direct subversion of the program’s anti-drug message, conveying a pro-drug and countercultural attitude instead. It was likely initially spread as a joke or meme among students.
Mocking Anti-Drug Attitudes
The “Drugs Are Really Excellent” slang helped portray DARE as out of touch and ineffective at preventing drug use. It mocked the simplicity of the “Just Say No” messaging popular in the 1980s and 90s by flipping it into an enthusiastic endorsement of drugs.
Other Slang Meanings
Beyond “Drugs Are Really Excellent,” other slang meanings included:
– Drugs Are Really Enjoyable
– Don’t Add Rules to Education
These variants all followed the same theme of subverting DARE’s original mission into an ironic or anti-establishment message.
Spreading Through Internet Culture
The slang term DARE was spread predominantly through emerging internet culture in the 1990s and 2000s. Things like viral images, memes, and online forums allowed the phrase to gain traction as an ironic joke among youth counterculture.
| Decade | Popularity of DARE Program | Popularity of DARE Slang |
| 1980s | Rising | Non-existent |
| 1990s | Peak | Rising |
| 2000s | Declining | Peak |
| 2010s | Minimal | Declining |
Prevalence of the Slang Term Today
While awareness of the DARE program has faded over time, the slang meaning persists as a recognizable cultural artifact, though its usage has declined.
Lingering Familiarity
The slang term DARE is still widely familiar especially among Millennials and older Generation Z who grew up during the peak years of the DARE program in schools. The phrase is remembered nostalgically as part of 1990s and 2000s youth counterculture.
Used Ironically or Referentially
Today it is more common to see the slang DARE used ironically or referentially to recall the attitudes of earlier decades. However, some groups like marijuana legalization advocates may still invoke the term earnestly.
Generational Gap
Among younger demographics like Generation Alpha, knowledge of the traditional meaning of DARE as well as its slang use is less common. This reflects the program’s lower prominence in recent years.
Persistence Online
Though usage has declined, the DARE slang meaning continues to have some presence in online forums and communities with a focus on drug culture or 1990s/2000s nostalgia. Memes also help reinforce the existence of the term.
Reasons for the Slang Term’s Popularity
There are several key factors that contributed to the ironic slang version of DARE becoming so popular and widely recognized:
DARE’s Ubiquity in Schools
DARE’s massive presence in schools meant multiple generations of students were exposed to the program and its recognizable acronym. This gave the term high visibility.
Counterculture and Rebellion
Flipping DARE into a pro-drug phrase let rebellious students mock the anti-drug establishment and authoritative messaging targeted at youth.
Criticisms of DARE’s Effectiveness
As studies questioned whether DARE worked and attitudes shifted, students who felt unaffected by the program used the slang term to highlight its flaws.
Humor and Irony
The slang phrase was likely initially spread just as a funny ironic joke relying on the huge familiarity with the acronym. The humor gave it viral potential.
General Associations with Drug Culture
Beyond specific generations, the slang DARE resonated broadly with any counterculture movements associated with recreational drug use and advocacy.
Regional Differences
While prevalent across the United States wherever DARE operated, awareness of the slang meaning varies globally along with the program’s reach:
United States
Given the term originated as a reaction to DARE’s ubiquity in American schools, it remains most widely recognized in the US, especially among older generations.
Other English-Speaking Countries
English-speaking countries like Canada, the UK, and Australia had some presence of DARE and resulting familiarity with the slang meaning, particularly with the internet’s borderless spread of counterculture trends.
Non-English Speaking Countries
Countries where DARE did not have a strong presence typically have very little recognition of the DARE slang term. Some internet-savvy younger generations may know it through globalized online content.
Cross-Cultural Slang
The specificity of mocking an American anti-drug program makes the DARE slang meaning difficult to translate cross-culturally. It is mostly familiar only to those exposed directly to DARE or American-centered online content.
Demographic Differences in Recognition
Generational and cultural factors affect whether someone is familiar with the slang meaning of DARE:
Age
Older Millennials and Generation X who experienced DARE programs firsthand in their youth generally recognize the slang term easily. Younger generations have less exposure.
Nationality
Americans are most likely to know the DARE slang meaning, as it arose within American youth counterculture. Non-Americans typically only know it if they consume a lot of American internet content.
Cultural Associations
Those involved in drug culture or who identify as countercultural or anti-establishment are more likely to continue using the DARE slang term or perpetuating it online.
Education
Since DARE targeted schoolchildren, anyone who went through the American public school system during its peak has greater chance of recognizing the slang meaning.
Online Presence
Younger generations may still know the slang term primarily through meme culture and online content relating to 1990s/2000s nostalgia or drug topics.
Conclusion
While the classic DARE program has largely faded from prominence, its acronym persists in repurposed slang form that subverts its original message. The ironic slang meaning peaked as counterculture backlash in the 1990s and 2000s, but remains familiar today as a nostalgic relic of its era and its widespread presence in American schools. Its legacy demonstrates the power cultural context can have in shifting meanings over time.
