LdyLunatic
09-13-2006, 02:39 PM
Ontario
08 Sep 2006
by Russell Barth,
Re: OPP D.A.R.E.S. kids to avoid drugs - Aug. 31.
I applaud anyone's effort to keep kids off of drugs, but many of these so-called "drug education programs" have proven to cause more harm than good.
As a federal medical marijuana license holder who is also married to one, I resent the non-factual information on marijuana, and the "all use is abuse" attitude that they usually adopt.
Adults, especially police, have lost all credibility when it comes to drugs, because they lie and exaggerate the so-called "dangers" of marijuana. They tell kids that marijuana "is ten times more potent than before," will cause cancer, schizophrenia, impotence, permanent stupidity, and an addiction to hard drugs. The fact is, marijuana has never, ever, killed anyone.
When kids discover the truth on their own ( which is just a Google search away ), they will realize they have been systematically lied to by people they once trusted. They will likely conclude that if adults lied about Santa Claus, the Easter bunny, and marijuana, they must be lying about meth, crack, heroin, ecstasy, booze, weapons, extreme sports, safe-sex and safe-driving, too. And who can blame them?
We live in a "drug culture" that advertises booze, fast cars, fast food, violent movies and video games, and drugs of all kinds on TV! Then we tell kids "Say no to drugs." We give kids Ritalin, instead of just reducing their sugar and Game-Boy intake, and then tell them, "marijuana is dangerous!" They see right though this hypocrisy. A ruse by any other name...
For those keen on educating kids about drugs - without all the fear-mongering, hyperbole, and absurd hypocrisy of the standard "drug education" programs - I recommend the Educators For Sensible Drug Policy website at www.efsdp.org.
Russell Barth,
Ottawa
08 Sep 2006
by Russell Barth,
Re: OPP D.A.R.E.S. kids to avoid drugs - Aug. 31.
I applaud anyone's effort to keep kids off of drugs, but many of these so-called "drug education programs" have proven to cause more harm than good.
As a federal medical marijuana license holder who is also married to one, I resent the non-factual information on marijuana, and the "all use is abuse" attitude that they usually adopt.
Adults, especially police, have lost all credibility when it comes to drugs, because they lie and exaggerate the so-called "dangers" of marijuana. They tell kids that marijuana "is ten times more potent than before," will cause cancer, schizophrenia, impotence, permanent stupidity, and an addiction to hard drugs. The fact is, marijuana has never, ever, killed anyone.
When kids discover the truth on their own ( which is just a Google search away ), they will realize they have been systematically lied to by people they once trusted. They will likely conclude that if adults lied about Santa Claus, the Easter bunny, and marijuana, they must be lying about meth, crack, heroin, ecstasy, booze, weapons, extreme sports, safe-sex and safe-driving, too. And who can blame them?
We live in a "drug culture" that advertises booze, fast cars, fast food, violent movies and video games, and drugs of all kinds on TV! Then we tell kids "Say no to drugs." We give kids Ritalin, instead of just reducing their sugar and Game-Boy intake, and then tell them, "marijuana is dangerous!" They see right though this hypocrisy. A ruse by any other name...
For those keen on educating kids about drugs - without all the fear-mongering, hyperbole, and absurd hypocrisy of the standard "drug education" programs - I recommend the Educators For Sensible Drug Policy website at www.efsdp.org.
Russell Barth,
Ottawa