Pubdate: Thu, 24 Feb 2005
Source: Daily Free Press (Boston U, MA Edu)
Copyright: 2005 Back Bay Publishing, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.dailyfreepress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/796
Author: Robert Sharpe
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05/n305/a02.html
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

REFORM DRUG EDUCATION

Your Feb. 23 editorial ("Parents vital in drug lessons," p. 6) was right on 
target. For decades, school-based drug prevention efforts have been 
dominated by sensationalist programs like D.A.R.E. Good intentions are no 
substitute for effective drug education. Independent evaluations of 
D.A.R.E. 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 often make the mistake of 
assuming that harder drugs like heroin 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.

Students who want to help end the drug war should contact Students for 
Sensible Drug Policy at www.ssdp.org.

Robert Sharpe, MPA Policy Analyst Common Sense for Drug Policy
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager