The focus upon "never experimenting"- currently the aim of household pamphlets and body bag ads will undoubtably have some impact with some families, but what of the many families where kids are exposed to their parents using drugs in recreational non abusive situations?
These kids have grown up seeing drugs used sensibly and irregularly. They will possibly think their parents are rare examples of users, or more likey see such sensible use as a common example of personal management skills.
We entrust so much to young people. Baby sitting for example. Being responsible for the care of an infant is a typical example where teenagers are cast into a position of high expectation and demand. Their study routine creates enormous pressure, and they are expected to behave and conduct themselves like adults.
What are kids to think if they hear this propaganda from their parents, and then meet people that can and do manage drug use without consequence?
Probably discard most of what they have been told, regarding their parents as having been too sheltered, or just having no idea. Certainly there would be little doubt in their minds that Mr Howard's views don't come from any direct personal association with drugs.
Management skills are what need to be emphasised, including an understanding that social integration doesn't mean that every occasion requires one to get "off ya face". This approach has shown some success with alcohol, but receives little attention when devising local policy on recreational drug use.
Sensible consumption and associated dangers of drugs should be discussed, openly and honestly. "...not to suggest you get involved with drugs.....but if you do experiment.. be aware of this..."
Drug use certainly causes problems in society, with scare tactics having been the major way governments have in the past tried to abolish the problem. In case no one noticed, these measures have never worked ever, anywhere.
People from every corner of society use drugs, many sensibly and on occasion, not every day.
And yet pharmaceutical companies market drugs that in order for you to not feel depressed, need to be taken every day.
Coffee, while it is the most used drug in the world, rarely receives criticism, yet someone on 6 cups of strong coffee can behave very much like someone on methylamphetamine.
At doses in excess of those experienced when ingesting coffee, caffeine damages chromosomes, and interferes with DNA repair processes. Excess coffee has also been suspected in incidents of myocardial infarction, and is definitely connected with some incidences of spontaneous abortion, stillbirth and premature delivery.
Yet this commoditity receives little such mention.
I wonder though if politicians could perform as well without their daily tea or coffee intake?
We reduced incidents of HIV, not because we stopped people having sex or booting up. We suggested safe practices, and put in place a process that acknowledged the average sensibility of the public. As a process that many conservative politicians initially disagreed to, it obviously reduced AIDS related infections.
Formatting education and deterrent advice strategies with drugs should be adopted in a similar way, having a policy that addresses peer groups and parents with the same message.
As an objective, a focus on avoiding a lifetime of drug abuse may be something a lot easier to achieve than any appreciable or absolute abstinance from society.
phase_dancer