In fact the idea of speaking out when confronted with something wrong was the chief proponent behind an education development in the Reagan administration. It’s roots go back to the 1970’s where a University of Houston Social Psychology professor begin working on a model to help students resist peer pressure and other social influences.
This program was so adept at helping people overcome some of the most common social influences, that it is still in use today. There is evidence to suggest that drug use and abuse significantly declined during the Reagan presidency. According research conducted by the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan, more young people in the 1980s were saying no to drugs. High school seniors using marijuana dropped from 50.1% in 1978 to 36% in 1987, to 12% in 1991 and the percentage of students using other drugs decreased in a similar fashion. Hallucinogen use dropped from 11% to 6%, cocaine from 12% to 10%, and heroin from 1% to 0.5%.
But it did not get it current name until 1982 where Nancy Reagan unknowingly revealed it. In 1982 Mrs. Reagan was asked by a schoolgirl what to do if she was offered drugs. The first lady responded by saying, "Just say no”.
There is power in having enough boldness to just say no! When worldliness comes calling…when temptation comes calling…just say no!