This is mainly for those here (which comprise of the majority of people who inhabit this part of the board) to express their ideas for Drug Education in our schools [I live in the United States, it would be best to specify your country of residence as drug laws may range from nation to nation], though those who oppose recreational drug use can comment as well. Do you think that the current Drug Education programs in your school systems are working? Do you feel that they should be changed altogether, or perhaps abolished? What actions would you take if you were in charge of the Drug Education Programs? I will add my personal opinion in time

I also live in the US and i personally think that our drug education sucks. i dont think they put out enough information that really warns kids about the popularity of drug use and the affects of drug use. i know when i was in elementary school the D.A.R.E. programs use to come to the school and they really didnt teach you alot. their message was "drugs are bad so dont use them" and i think that kids need alot more then that..alot more. I know in my school district in highschool we didnt have drug assemblys or anything of the sort and in highschool and junior high is when you need it most, and you need the cold hard facts, not people just beating around the bush and not telling you the total truth of heroin or the total truth of ectasy. for me i have found out that most kids start using drugs around 8th grade year to freshman year in highschool. i had to learn the hard way. and i think it is because of the education that i recieved. i wasnt showed pictures of what ectasy could do to your brain. i wasnt showed pictures or heard stories of how people died on their over dose of heroin. all i was told is that it was bad for me and not to do it, and me being the rebelious child that i was did it. but i know if i was to have been shown pictures of what my body would look like, or how it would affect my life now i wouldnt have done it. think that if our drug program improved this would be the thing to change. we need to put the facts out there. we need to show pictures of what it can do we need to tell stories of what can happen. i personally think its the only way that you could have some impact on a kids life, and we need to do it while they are still young.

DARE is a joke. DARE cops come for about a week during elementary school and then that's it. We need more middle school programs, because that's when kids really start getting into danger. Howver, I firmly believe that proper drug eduation (as well as sex education and the like) should really start at home. It's parents' job to talk to their children about drugs.

= Gatsby =

The information they give out is truthful in some ways, but total bullshit in others. About the only truthful thing they've ever said when I was forced into manditory classes was the effects of the drugs, but only the negative effects. Not once did they ever say anything positive about the drug.

Well, I left school 9 years ago, but if the number of drug users who visit this website is any indication -- drug education does in deed "suck".

I'm calling for drug education; you seem to be calling for something more along the lines of anti-drug teachings.

I believe that drug education should be organized much in the same way that sexual education was (apparently in the United States, they are only teaching abstinence now - a bad decision in my opinion) throughout the recent years. Drugs exist. They are out there, and no matter how illegal they are, how many times you tell them that any drug in any amount will kill them, or tell them to just say no; they will say yes. People will do drugs, regardless; if not hard drugs - light drugs. If not light drugs - perscription.

The same applied with Sex Ed. Teachers knew that no matter how many times they told the children to abstain, that they would engage in sexual intercourse. As such, they started teaching students how to do it safely and carefully, as to avoid health complications and unwanted pregnancy.

I feel that the same should apply to Drug Education. Children need to be aware of the fact that they are in a world where drugs exist. They should be taught how to take these drugs safely, if they must, and avoid impurities.


On the side note, I also think that Drug Education should occur during adolescence, and not prepubescence; most children who are taught in DARE remember little of what they learn.

i never did DARE. is that some anti-drug program. is it like MADD.

MADD? Mothers Against Drunk Driving? No, DARE stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education, and is a program in elementary schools in the USA.

= Gatsby =

I'm calling for drug education; you seem to be calling for something more along the lines of anti-drug teachings.
Yep. Drugs are for losers; nothing personal against people who use recreational drugs, but I think the practice of dabbling with drugs is completely stupid, just like I think smoking and excessive drinking are stupid.

Drugs exist. They are out there, and no matter how illegal they are, how many times you tell them that any drug in any amount will kill them, or tell them to just say no; they will say yes. People will do drugs, regardless; if not hard drugs - light drugs. If not light drugs - perscription.
Then that's their malfunction. Satanism is out there, and people will always try it. Should we start teaching people about Satanism, or should we just say, "It's wrong, it's bad, nothing good will come from it, so leave it alone."

The same applied with Sex Ed. Teachers knew that no matter how many times they told the children to abstain, that they would engage in sexual intercourse.
Of course, considering sex is one of the strongest biological drives, but there will always be smarter kids who listen to the warnings of those people who know better. if more people acted smart, we'd be living in a better world.

As such, they started teaching students how to do it safely and carefully, as to avoid health complications and unwanted pregnancy.
There is no way to use cocaine, heroin, ecstasy, pcp, morphine safely or carefully. They require medical training to use, and they must be used in very carefully measured amounts. Any of these drugs when used improperly can send a person berserk - especially pcp, which along with removing inhibitions also enhances physical strength to the point where you can ignore even the most deadly wounds. My favoruite quote about drugs comes from Band of Brothers, when the medic is yelling at his senior officers for giving a wounded soldier an unknown dose of morphine - "You should know! You are officers and you are adults. You SHOULD know."

Children need to be aware of the fact that they are in a world where drugs exist. They should be taught how to take these drugs safely, if they must, and avoid impurities.
Children should be aware they live in a world where CRIME exists. Should they be taught how to commit crime safely and avoid the worst excesses of criminal behaviour - such as being taught how to rape girls, but to avoid bestiality?

Honestly I don't belive that they work. I think that maybe for a few kids they think hey dare yea now I belong somewhere ya know? But I don't think that there effective at all 80% of the time. Truthfully I think that education in school about drugs is the best thing they could do. I probably shoulden't talk because I'm not exactly an honer dare student but I think that people can do alot better without drugs then they can do with drugs in there life. If I was going to change anything though it would be there approch to teaching why kids do drugs. Alot of the time they blame it on "Peer pressure" which I think is the stupidest thing I have heard. Yes don't get me wrong there are alot of people who experiment because of peer pressure but thats not the only reason. Theres always a deeper reason why people get "hooked" on things. And usually all it takes is one gateway drug to lead you into a world of things you never knew exsisted. Drug education is a good thing they should just find more effective ways of teaching it.

Yep. Drugs are for losers; nothing personal against people who use recreational drugs, but I think the practice of dabbling with drugs is completely stupid, just like I think smoking and excessive drinking are stupid.

Personal opinion, which is fine, but shouldn't be applied to public schools.

Satanism is out there, and people will always try it. Should we start teaching people about Satanism, or should we just say, "It's wrong, it's bad, nothing good will come from it, so leave it alone."

You still never answered this question in another thread. Satanism isn't even bad. I'm under the impression that the only reason you would think Satanism is bad is because you are some sort of catholic or christian (both religions are far worse than satanism) that is afraid of other religions.


Of course, considering sex is one of the strongest biological drives, but there will always be smarter kids who listen to the warnings of those people who know better. if more people acted smart, we'd be living in a better world.

And there will always be smarter kids who listen to the warnings and not take drugs. That doesn't mean that we can ignore all of the "dumber" ones who will, without a doubt, engage in sexual intercourse and smoke marijuana.


There is no way to use cocaine, heroin, ecstasy, pcp, morphine safely or carefully. They require medical training to use, and they must be used in very carefully measured amounts.

Nor is there any true way to prevent preganancy, sexually tansmitted dieases, or other complications that arise during sexual intercourse. That doesn't mean that we should teach ways to greatly reduce these possibilities.

Any of these drugs when used improperly can send a person berserk - especially pcp, which along with removing inhibitions also enhances physical strength to the point where you can ignore even the most deadly wounds.

I think you're talking entirely about PCP. I have never heard of any other drugs driving people berserk, (those that do go berserk seem to have the same chance as a person who is say, fired from their job) and PCP is the only drug I am aware of that will make you able to ignore deadly wounds, though if the wound is deadly, you will most likely collapse within a few minutes, regardless of what is in your body.

Children should be aware they live in a world where CRIME exists. Should they be taught how to commit crime safely and avoid the worst excesses of criminal behaviour - such as being taught how to rape girls, but to avoid bestiality?

No, because once again, rape is a crime that infringes upon another person's rights and liberties, wheras personal drug use and sex between consenting minors (both of those are illegal) do not.

Honestly I don't belive that they work. I think that maybe for a few kids they think hey dare yea now I belong somewhere ya know? But I don't think that there effective at all 80% of the time. Truthfully I think that education in school about drugs is the best thing they could do. I probably shoulden't talk because I'm not exactly an honer dare student but I think that people can do alot better without drugs then they can do with drugs in there life. If I was going to change anything though it would be there approch to teaching why kids do drugs. Alot of the time they blame it on "Peer pressure" which I think is the stupidest thing I have heard. Yes don't get me wrong there are alot of people who experiment because of peer pressure but thats not the only reason. Theres always a deeper reason why people get "hooked" on things. And usually all it takes is one gateway drug to lead you into a world of things you never knew exsisted. Drug education is a good thing they should just find more effective ways of teaching it.

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DARE was complete crap. It did work though, as I was clean through middle school, cause according to DARE, if I walk down an alley, or if I am just by a group of "habitual drug users", they will kidnapp me, and make me smoke pot thats laced with like EVERYTHING, then I'll go crazy and jump off a bridge. Or I'll be peer pressured into trying drugs, cause its the "cool" thing. But I know I would never give any of my pot (especially if its laced w/someting good like coke or whatnot) to some random little kid. But according to a movie I saw, that's how it happens sometimes.
DARE is propaganda, they use exaggerate every little thing about every drug, things that most people even encounter. Why can't they list the positive aspects as well, and let them make their own judgements on it. I just went to the DARE website, and alot of it is crap. For example, they definatly go overboard with the risks of coke. And alot of the other risks can be avoided if you just know how to avoid it. For example, if you're taking XTC, make sure you drink enough water, even if you're not that thristy, if your taking stuff like lsd or shrooms, make sure your in a comfortable enviroment, have no plans, be in a good state in mind, and preferably have someone not on it with you, and you'll have a 99.99% chance that you'll have an awesome trip.
As for the "peer pressure" thing. I have good friends, and when we accecpt someone new into our circle, we don't pressure them into anything. We'll offer him whatever it is we're taking, but if he says no, that's kewl. I don't like friends just cause they like drugs or not, and we try to make sure they realize that. But if you have friends that pressure you into things alot, you prolly shouldn't be their friends (reguardless if it's drugs, or not).

-Edgar

EDIT: @nopoet: she said drugs is for losers, wtf mate? Would you consider me a loser; I graduated high school with a 3.2 GPA, 1300 SAT, I've worked several steady jobs (never been fired, or even written up). I know go to a respectable university and am holding a roughly speaking 3.0 ish GPA, and I am living in an appartment that I am paying for all by myself (along with me paying for half of my tuition [my mom paying the other half]). And I live with 2 girls. And yet, I have a fridge of beer and jaegarmeister, and a hollowed out book filled with bud. What part of that suggests I'm a loser? If you give me the "false happiness" argument thing, then please define "real happiness" then.
If you ever want to have some healthy intelligent debate NoPoet, I'd love to talk onlinne sometime.