Drug Programs
The United States has one of the biggest drug epidemics on our hands. More than almost any other country. Studies show that over half of all high school seniors will have tried at least one illicit drug before they graduate (Hanson). One problem with this is that growing children are not educated properly about these drugs. And without a proper education on these drugs, they become curious and want to try them. The earlier these children get hooked on drugs, the more likely it will lead to more illegal activity (Head). I think we need an innovation that improves drug awareness in children and teens. The current programs in place don’t focus on the main points of drug prevention. Improved drug education programs are innovations that keep a cleaner, more healthy and prosperous future for children with use of better coping, emotional, and decision making skills.
With drug statistics so high, it’s no wonder why our government has stepped in with a war on drugs. In the 80’s crack cocaine use became outrageous in large cities (Head). And as minority’s style of life fell, government intervention was needed. So in 1982 the Reagan party declared a war on drugs (Head). And when Mrs. Reagan was asked what the best way a child can avoid drugs, she responded with “Just say no”. Now this option sounds great in theory, like when a stranger offers you drugs. It would be easy to say no. But when this person offering you drugs is a childhood friend or a family member, your answer may change. And with that, drug use will still continue.
So because drug use through teens was still rapidly growing, the government needed something more than just ads on TV to get through to there teens. With this, t...
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Hanson, David J. "Effectiveness of D.A.R.E.." Alchohal Problems and Solutions. 6 May. 2010. .
Head, Tom . "History on the War on Drugs." About.com. 5 Jan. 2010. 3 May. 2010. .
Richards, David . "How to prevent alcohol and addiction." Ezine Articles. 29 Sep. 2007. 4 May. 2010. .
Schreenen, Mark . "The Baldwin Reasearch project of 1999." Saint Jude Retreats . 2009. 30 Apr. 2010. .
"Treatment." Office of National Drug Policy. 11 Nov. 2005. 5 May. 2010. .
"home." www.rehabinfo.net. 2010. 3 May. 2010. .
Kids start being introduced to drugs at a very young age because the first interaction with them is being told not to do any of them. Most kids have no idea what drugs are until this program is introduced in elementary schools telling kids not to do drugs. In “There’s No Justice in the War on Drugs”, Milton Friedman talks about the injustice of drugs and the harsh reality of being addicted to drugs, and the causes or side effects that come along with them. The author clearly argues the “war on drugs” and uses analysis and data to prove his argument. The author agrees that the use of government to keep kids away from drugs should be enforced, but the use of government to keep adults away from drugs, should not be enforced. The author has a clear side of his argument and the audience can clearly see that. He argues against the “war on drugs” claim that President Richard M. Nixon made twenty-five years ago, he adds ethos, logos, and pathos to defend his argument, and uses a toulmin
The biggest question people ask is if the “war on drugs” was successful. According to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), “The goals of the program are to reduce illicit drug use, manufacturing and trafficking, drug-related crime and violence, and drug-related health consequences.” The best way to measure the effectiveness of the “war on drugs” is to focus on these basic questions; Is drug use down? Is crime down? and Are drugs less available? Since 1988, drug use by individuals ages 12 and over has remained stable according to the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA). The number of individuals reporting any drug use has increased by approximately 7 million and the number of those who reported drug use in previous months or previous years has remained unchanged. The Organization Monitoring the Future studies drug use, access to drugs, and perspectives towards drugs of junior and senior high school students nationwide. Results of a study conducted in 2005 showed a minor decline in substance abuse by older teens, but drug use among eighth graders stopped remained the same. However, the changes were not statistically significant and ultimately there was no reduction in substance abuse among young students. Crime in the United States has decreased significantly since 1993, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. On the other hand,
Masci, David. “Preventing Teen Drug Use.” CQ Researcher, 15 March, 2002, Volume 12, No. 10. Accessed October 1, 2003,
Adolescent drug use in America is a cause for concern. Drug use among adolescents contributes to deaths, traffic accidents, poor judgment, unsafe sexual behavior and other risky behaviors. According to the authors (2003), “drug prevention programs in schools are a critical element of the antidrug effort, yet only 9% of school districts are using programs whose effectiveness has been demonstrated through rigorous research (p.1830).”
FITZPATRICK, Michael (2001). “The Lessons of the Drugs War”, Spiked,. Online at: , consulted on March 30th, 2004.
The United States government projected $25 million to support schools in school-based drug testing and other drug-free programs. In 2003, many schools across the nation provided their own funding for student drug testing programs. The President wants to increase this program for 2005. He also wants to continue funding for ONDCP. This media campaign sends anti-drug messages to young adults via web sites, functions, and events on drug awareness. This approach will include information for parents and youth to encourage early intervention against drug use in 2005.
At even the national level, the “war on drugs” was just as detrimental. Reagan's narcotics policy had doubled both drug arrests and the prison population in the US. Under him, the media propaganda helped ignite public concern – sometimes bordering hysteria – which effectively created “a mandate for a massive campaign against drugs –an intensified federal enforcement effort, harsher prison sentences, and omnipresent narcotics surveillance of ordinary Americans.” Bush's “war on drugs”, an
In delivering his points to the reader, Hamill effectively makes good use of internal structure. Initially, the point of view utilized in this article exhibits an interesting way that the reader can personalize himself with the article. The constant use of “I” in the article lets the reader know that the author has had first hand experience with the drug issue. The first person point of view also reinforces the fact that this article is completely based on the ideas and beliefs of Hamill. In addition, playing a key role in this article, the audience remains convinced via the effective techniques in writing. In general, this article reaches out to everyone in the United States, and possibly the rest of the world. However, this article targets powerful individuals, and those in the government who can make an impact on the drug world. This illustrates the whit of Hamill in that he discreetly makes a statement to high ranking officials. Most importantly, the tone in which the author reveals with dignity gives a sense of truthfulness to the reader. The author overall writes seriously, but with a touch of sarcasm here and there. Adding to the seriousness, the author’s realistic approach to the situation on drugs tells the reader that the author means every last bit of what he is saying.
The drug control policy of the United States has always been a subject of debate. From Prohibition in the early 1930’s to the current debate over the legalization of marijuana, drugs have always been near the top of the government’s agenda. Drug use affects every part of our society. It strains our economy, our healthcare, our criminal justice systems, and it endangers the futures of young people. In order to support a public health approach to drug control, the Obama administration has committed over $10 billion to drug education programs and support for expanding access to drug treatment for addicts (Office). The United States should commit more government resources to protect against illegal use of drugs by youths and provide help for recovering addicts.
The United States have occasionally tried to overcome this problem with policies such as “War on Drugs” and the government has spent billions of dollars to fight drug abuse, but the enforcement law has been costly and counterproductive. The United States government needs to shift its spending from drug law enforcement to treatment, education, and prevention as optional policies that can do well (Paley, 2014).
...ssures to be the best they can be academically. With all these pressures of adolescence on the rise, more and more teens are falling prey to the alluring “high” that allows a temporary leave from their problems and stress. Because teens lack the maturity and knowledge to understand long term consequences, they tend not to think about the down falls that they will face as a result of the drug use. This is especially true when it come to marijuana, as it is seen by so many as the harmless drug. With the increased use of marijuana by youth over the last three decades, it is imperative that better preventative measures, and firmer penalties, be put in place to educate and raise awareness concerning the risks and dangerous side effects that marijuana use can have. Only once society has put these preventative measures in to action, will there be an effective change seen.
In the United States of America, we, the people value several things, some of which
...n still has a lot of room for growth. In the last couple decades we have seen many new drugs introduced into society. Which in turn, makes the idea of prevention a difficult subject. There is basically a “high” out there to fix nearly any ailment you have. And we are all affected by different ailments. The only way I see to slow down the drug addicted population is to begin at an early age as the DARE program does, however, the program should continue past elementary school. I understand you can only tell an individual about drugs so many times before it loses its effectiveness. But a long-term program that builds a strong moral foundation as well as treats these young students as individuals instead of a mass entity would allow for a holistic approach to prevention. This I believe is what it will take for long-term prevention to begin within our society.
It has been discovered that most people who struggle with drug addiction began experimenting with drugs in their teens. Teenage drug abuse is one of the largest problems in society today and the problem grows and larger every year. Drugs are a pervasive force in our culture today. To expect kids not to be influenced by the culture of their time is as unrealistic as believing in the tooth fairy (Bauman 140). Teens may feel pressured by their friends to try drugs, they may have easy access to drugs, they may use drugs to rebel against their family or society, or they may take an illegal drug because they are curious about it or the pleasure that it gives them.
The first step when beginning to implement drug education in a classroom or school is for the individual that is considering the topic to deem why the implementation is important. There are three main reasons teachers have found the implementation to be important. The first reason is that students are more likely to come in contact with drugs by hearing about them, or using them. By having a program implemented into a classroom or school, it can assist individuals to gain knowledge about the topic. The purpose of this is to help individuals make healthy, responsible decisions about drugs now and in the future that will reflect the individual’s identity and morals. The second reason is to help promote a healthy lifestyle for students. Teachers believe that by engaging students in drug education programs, it can help to benefit well-being of the students so that healthy lifestyles are reached to the fullest potentials. Lastly, teachers have found it to be important because teachers can act as a partner with parents, guardians, and other members of the community, in order to ensure that students are being provided with accurate and developmentally appropriate drug education. The school can provide knowledge to students in an area that is sometimes difficult for parents, guardians, and the community to talk about.