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.
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