Drug Education Must Be Reality Based

[PFlynn]

Regarding Steve Bodnar's Mar. 20 op-ed, the importance of parental involvement in reducing adolescent drug use cannot be overstated. School-based extracurricular activities also have been shown to reduce use.

They keep kids busy during the hours they're most likely to get into trouble. In order for drug prevention efforts to effectively reduce harm, they must be reality-based. The most popular drug and the one most closely associated with violent behavior is often overlooked by parents. That drug is alcohol, and it takes far more lives each year than all illegal drugs combined. Alcohol may be legal, but it's still the No. 1 drug problem.

For decades, school-based drug prevention efforts have been dominated by sensationalist programs like Drug Abuse Resistance Education. Good intentions are no substitute for effective drug education. Independent evaluations of DARE have found the program to be either ineffective or counterproductive. The scare tactics used do more harm than good. Students who realize they've been lied to about marijuana may make the mistake of assuming that harder drugs like methamphetamine are relatively harmless as well. This is a recipe for disaster. Drug education programs must be reality-based or they may backfire when kids are inevitably exposed to drug use among their peers.



Source: Sault Star, The (CN ON)
Copyright: 2008 The Sault Star
Contact: ssmstar@saultstar.com
Website: The Sault Star - Ontario, CA

 

[Herb Fellow]

Years ago when I was a pastor, a friend came and gave a talk to the youth about drugs. He even brought some marijuana to burn so everyone could smell the herb. It was hilarious! In his talk about cannabis, he told the kids not to try marijuana . . . because you will like it too much. There were no parents at the meeting and I never heard from any. I think the kids kept the pot thing to themselves. His talk was definitely reality based.

 

[Damagoman]

Why do y'all think there is such wide spread disregard for the Law.

They done lied to us, too many friggin' times.

 

[Smokin Moose]

If the educators lips are moving, they are lying.

 

[Damagoman]

Teenagers too now don't forget

Good Evenin' BubaMoose

 

[Smokin Moose]

Hey Brother Mago. Hope Texas is being kind to you.

 

[Damagoman]

Not bad, farm made it's first dollar today.
Just another 3 yrs to go and maybe I can get a farm loan

 

[Carrie8300]

cannabis education should be something they teach with truth......

I myself am not going to rely on public schools to teach my kids about it. I myself am going to sit them down when the time comes and tell them the truth. Because if they hear it from someone who knows the truth, then hopefully they will either respect it for what it is....or end up using it responsibly. I would personally rather have my future kid ( when they are old enough ) use cannabis instead of drinking.

 

[Boss]

You cannot rely on the system to teach the truth to kids about MANY things. Free market economy, capitalism, democracy, drugs, guns, food, you name it, they lie about it, or leave it out of the books entirely.

 

[Damagoman]

or just too damn complacent!

Too lazy, just to easy to sit back and do nothin'.

 

[Herb Fellow]

In 350 B.C., Aristotle told us that if communication is to change behavior, it must be grounded in the desires and interests of the receivers. This is where drug education fails.

 

[EJMOZ]

Drug education does suck....i mean i can remember health class in school, listening to my gym coach talk about how weed is bad and kills your brain, lungs, causes cancer, blah blah blah.....they completly exagerate everything....the funnniest thing was i sat in the front row, and by the time i had this class i had gotten suspended for having herb on me in school multiple times. Not only that but i live in a small town and have also gotten in trouble with cops, and i just found it amazing how our coach could stand in front of classes and just bullshit us on drugs. I also found it hilarious that most kids could probably cover the lesson a whole lot better.