We all know the common refrain when it comes to teaching kids about drugs and alcohol: “Just Say No.” For decades, governments, schools, and families alike have used this phrase in an attempt to keep young people away from dangerous substances. This approach leans heavily on authority, trading on the presumed respect that teenagers have for their politicians, teachers, and parents to ensure that they will, indeed, avoid the type of mind- or mood-altering substances that could put them at risk.
However, nearly forty years after the introduction of the “just say no” approach, more teens than ever before are overdosing, and in 2022 it was estimated that 1 in 3 high school seniors have used an illicit substance at least once.[1] While advocating an abstinence-based approach to drugs and alcohol might have seemed sensible in the past, increasing evidence shows that this method has been unsuccessful. Is there a better way?
Below, we’ll take a look at a different approach to educating teenagers about dangerous intoxicants. After looking at the history of abstinence-based drug education in America, we’ll explore how new information and communication tools can be more successful in the fight against youth substance misuse. Replacing “Just Say No” with “Just Say Know” shifts the focus from an ineffective authoritarian mandate for abstinence to an educational model that emphasizes critical thinking.
The Controversial History of “Just Say No”
The term “Just Say No” originated with the anti-drug work of First Lady, Nancy Reagan, in the 1980s,[2] but it was popularized in American schools by a drug education program known as DARE: Drug Abuse Resistance Education. DARE was founded in 1983 by a Los Angeles police chief and focused on the principles of recognizing, resisting, and reporting drug use in communities across the country.[3] It was taught in schools by local police officers and was the dominant approach to substance use education nationwide for many decades. DARE t-shirts and pamphlets saying, “Just Say No,” were printed and distributed to schools.
In recent years, however, the DARE movement has been heavily criticized due to evidence suggesting that the “Just Say No” approach advocated by this educational program has not worked, which we will explore in detail below.[5] Other critics have stressed that DARE was fundamentally a police operation and not an educational curriculum, noting that police officers are primarily responsible for keeping communities safe through upholding laws and are not trained to compassionately understand the psychological, social, or emotional complexities of teen drug use. Stories have since emerged of children and teenagers who were encouraged by DARE officers to report their parents’ casual drug use, only to find the police at their houses arresting their mothers and fathers that evening. While the intent of the program, and its “Just Say No” approach, was perhaps well-intentioned, it was inherently flawed because it operated through an authoritarian- rather than a knowledge-oriented framework.
Understanding the Reality of Teen Substance Misuse
The data on the “Just Say No” approach is incontrovertible: countless published studies show that teens are taking drugs and using alcohol in increasing numbers each year. In 2012, researchers in Michigan found that 24% of 12th graders had engaged in binge drinking, and 42% had consumed alcohol in the last month. In addition, 3% of 12th graders had used cocaine in the past year.[6] Over ten years later, with a changing drug landscape, there are more drug-related deaths among teens than ever before.[7] So, how can we address the reality of teen substance misuse and educate young people in ways which will help prevent these tragic deaths?
Just Say “Know”
Many experts believe that we need to move from “Just Say No” to ‘Just Say Know.” According to Aaron Weiner, PhD, ABPP, honestly communicating to teenagers about the realities of using drugs and alcohol at a young age may prove to be a more effective way of preventing them from using drugs. Weiner is one of a growing number of experts who are advocating for a move away from blanket abstinence-based approaches and towards a more nuanced and understanding approach which is based on giving teenagers knowledge.
The hope is that armed with full awareness of the situation, teens will be able to make better and more informed decisions without fear or anxiety. According to Weiner, “the goal is to impress upon youth that far and away the healthiest choice is not to put these substances in your body, while at the same time acknowledging that some kids are still going to try them. If that’s the case, we want to help them avoid the worst consequences.”
This approach reflects our growing understanding of identity development in adolescence: “Youth are generally using substances to gain friends, avoid losing them, or to cope with emotional problems that they’re having,” says Dr. Weiner. “Effective prevention efforts need to offer healthy alternatives for achieving those goals.”
While teaching teens to avoid drugs altogether and “Just Say No” may feel sensible, it ignores many of the nuances of their lived realities. If we truly want to make a difference in the fight against teen substance misuse, we may be better advised to inform rather than scare them. Our best bet is to include them in the conversation and arm them with knowledge, teaching them to “Just Say Know.”
Sources:
[1] Abrams, Z. (2024) ‘More teens than ever are overdosing. Psychologists are leading new approaches to combat youth substance misuse.’ Monitor on Psychology. American Psychological Association, March 1st. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2024/03/new-approaches-youth-substance-misuse
[2] Shen, A. (2016) ‘The Disastrous Legacy Of Nancy Reagan’s ‘Just Say No’ Campaign.’ ThinkProgress, March 6th. https://archive.thinkprogress.org/the-disastrous-legacy-of-nancy-reagans-just-say-no-campaign-fd24570bf109/
[3] https://dare.org/d-a-r-e-america/
[4] Fekler-Kantor, M. (2023) ‘The DARE Snitches.’ Slate, Sept 30. https://slate.com/human-interest/2023/09/dare-history-police-surveillance-schools.html
[5] Ennett, S. T., Tobler, N. S., Ringwalt, C. L., & Flewelling, R. L. (1994). How effective is drug abuse resistance education? A meta-analysis of Project DARE outcome evaluations. American journal of public health, 84(9), 1394–1401. https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.84.9.1394
[6] Lilienfield, S. and Arkowitz, H. (2014) ‘Why “Just Say No” doesn’t work. Scientific American, January 1. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-just-say-no-doesnt-work/
[7] Tsai, B. (2023) ‘Fentanyl Overdose Death Rates More Than Tripled From 2016 to 2021.’ CDC. https://blogs.cdc.gov/nchs/2023/05/03/7338/#:~:text=Fentanyl%20Overdose%20Death%20Rates%20More%20Than%20Tripled%20From%202016%20to%202021,-May%203%2C%202023&text=Drug%20overdose%20death%20rates%20involving,for%20Health%20Statistics%20(NCHS).
