Pubdate: Sun, 10 Apr 2005 Source: Pacific Daily News (US GU) Copyright: 2005 Pacific Daily News Contact: http://www.guampdn.com/customerservice/contactus.html Website: http://www.guampdn.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1122 Author: Robert Sharpe Note: Robert Sharpe, MPA, is a policy analyst for Common Sense for Drug Policy in Washington, D.C. Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) BASE PREVENTION EFFORTS ON REALITY, OR THEY MAY BACKFIRE Your April 4 editorial offered excellent advice on preventing adolescent drug use. The importance of parental involvement in reducing 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 (DARE). Good intentions are no substitute for effective drug education. Independent evaluations of DARE have found the program to be either ineffective or counterproductive. Students who realize they've been lied to about marijuana often make the mistake of assuming that harder drugs like crystal methamphetamine are relatively harmless, as well. This is a recipe for disaster. Drug education programs must be reality-based, or they may backfire. - ---