I'm not saying to stop doing anything that prevents them from entering the cruel world of addiction but if what you're doing is not working then it's better to stop trying. If you have something that is reliable and actually keeps people from using drugs rather than just letting them know that drinking causes heart attacks or meth causes tooth loss then go ahead
Like I say, it does work in many cases. You personally believe that children SHOULDN'T be educated about drugs at all, and should find out from their peers?
I've already commented with a few examples earlier in the thread where this, has in fact, happened. I have very good friends who won't even try drugs due to the education they received at school, regardless of whether or not it was 'honest' (as it wasn't when I was at school myself). If you read back, you can see these examples. Like I say, your charge that it doesn't work at all and it is a waste of time is ridiculous. I do appreciate what you say at the end - for example, visits by ex-heroin addicts have done wonders, and their anecdotes have changed a few students' perceptions about drugs. But yes, education is education. Stopping it just because a few kids won't take it on board would be terrible.
Also 'giving up trying' shows that you REALLY don't understand the nature of teaching hehe.
You could say that if you wanted to but the thing is, Drug Education Does Not Prevents People From Doing Drugs and there are studies that prove just that
Erm, no. You totally missed my point. Drug education doesn't stop ALL people from doing drugs, but it does STOP SOME.
Because you have produced a graduate paper in this topic from your hat, it does not prove that drug education is TOTALLY INEFFECTIVE whatsoever. There've been studies that show EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE to this study - that's the beauty of these kinds of "studies". In fact, if we have a look at current drug education policy in my country:
"It is important drug education is based on evidence about what works and what clearly does not work. Many drug education programmes have been evaluated in this country, other European countries and America. Collectively they show that:
•The impact of drug education on drug using behaviour has been shown to be limited. Drug education alone is unlikely to prevent young people from ever experimenting with drugs.
•‘Just Say No’ and ‘shock/ scare’ approaches are likely to be ineffective and may even be counterproductive.
•Good quality drug education can impact on changes in specific drug using patterns and reduce the use of drugs and associated problems for young people.
•Drug education can contribute towards decreased harm and increased safety for young people, their families and communities. Drug education has been part of effective needle exchange schemes, ‘safer dancing’ initiatives and ‘drink-driving’. However, the impact of more general, and particularly school-based, drug education on reducing drug-related harm (rather than whether or not people have ever used drugs) has not been measured in any studies.
‘Establishing the effectiveness of drug education is a complex task. Almost all evaluations of programmes have been inconclusive in terms of perceived results in reducing or preventing drug use. Where programmes have shown positive results, the benefits have been in improved knowledge, decision-making skills, and improved self-esteem. Personal and social skills, however, have not been shown in themselves to relate directly to the prevention of drug use’. "
'Protecting Young People - 2008' , DfES.
So yeah, studies are INCONCLUSIVE. Some say that drug education alone doesn't work (notice the word ALONE), some say that drug education raises the standards of living for communities.
It's amusing that people who state that drug education is a WASTE OF TIME, as if they know more than the people making the policies on the issue. Just because it doesn't work on SOME students does not mean that it's a waste of time.
Besides, even if they do use, at least they're EDUCATED about the effects. No one can say "I JUST DIDN'T KNOW!!!".
The study is from 1972 by the way feel free to point out why it's wrong etc ( I haven't even read it to know what they mean by factual drug education)
Aside from the fact that it's entirely based on the flawed research of SURVEYS COMPLETED BY MINORS IN THE SEVENTIES? That's where it draws its data - forms filled out by students themselves. We were subjected to such an ordeal when I was in school myself, based on a paper about sexual abuse. A fair few of us wrote down humorous sexual encounters on the survey, even though we were all totally lying. One friend even said he was raped by his dog. Immature? Yes, but we were children. And children lie on forms.
When filling out a survey with "DID DRUG EDUCATION MAKE YOU NOT WANT TO DO DRUGS", how many do you really think are going to reply "YES I WILL NEVER NOW" when filling it out? Absurd.
Plus, lest we forget, children lie pretty constantly. So yeah, while this survey-based 'study' might have SOME value in the debate, it really isn't the be all and end all that proves drug education to have no effect whatsoever.