Category: D.A.R.E Program

The opioid epidemic in the U.S. is profoundly tied to two primary issues that are increasing at an alarming rate. The first notable issue is the significantly rise in opioid prescription and healthcare providers who began to prescribe opioids to treat pain in ways that we now know are high-risk and is associated with opioid abuse, addiction, and overdose. There are two routes to prevent opioid drug abuse that became prevalent while I was conducting research in the drug prevention groups perspective. First, is tools to educate and inform healthcare providers now on how to combat drug abuse and secondly, the initiation of programs in schools to explicitly prevent drug abuse even before it happens.

In 2012, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) launched a learning tool that will provide proper training and also learn how to adequately practice patient relations in attempts to address the prescription drug abuse epidemic. The new launched learning tool was created to help medical experts understand and address the prescription drug abuse problem. Nora D. Volkow, director of NIDA says, ‘Physicians can be the first line of defense against prescription drug abuse by knowing how to prescribe opioid pain medications safely and effectively’. The program aims to effectively educate physicians to combat drug addiction from ever happening to begin with. According to data gathered from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) says that the number of young adults (people aged 18 to 25) who used prescription drugs for non-medical purposes in the past month declined 14 percent — from 2 million in 2010 to 1.7 million in 2011. The uneducated prescription of drugs to patients by physicians is the framework for opioid addiction. Ultimately, in part physicians are to blame for. In addition, educating physicians as Volkow describes are the first line of defense but an unintended problem that arises is how to determine who is actually suffering from chronic pain and those suffering from little to mild pain. In expansion of educating physicians the DEA in 2013 created ‘Take-Back Day’ that removes unwanted, unused and expired medications that aims to helps prevent the use of drugs in one way.

Although there are many contributing factors that lead to the abuse of prescription drugs Purdue Pharma in recent months formed the first deal to resolve the many lawsuits blaming the OxyContin maker for fueling the opioid crisis in America. Purdue Pharma is indirectly taking some blame for the drug abuse, addiction, and overdose. Oklahoma’s attorney filed a lawsuit against Purdue Pharma and will be using the funds to fund opioid prevention and addiction treatment. There are controversial debates about who to blame for but there are various aspects to consider but we should move towards programs to sufficiently reduce the number of opioid drug users and abusers.

The second route of drug prevention is the initiation of programs explicit educating the use of drugs in the school systems. Effort to prevent opioid drug abuse can be seen in some schools where they are inviting pharmacists to convey the dangers of prescription pills. Other initiations are offering emergency counseling via text named ‘Text a Tip’ that are being use in more than 200 school districts in Illinois and California. Some of the efforts included in ‘Text a Tip’ are licensed therapists who are on-call round the clock to respond to kids who text them when they are at a party and are witnessing and being offered drugs. Dana Slowinski says, “We have had kids text at a party and say, ‘There are kids using around me and I don’t know what to do. So, we respond and say, ‘Can you distract yourself, can you leave, can you call a friend or adult to pick you up?”. Researchers and therapists are acknowledging that the use of drugs is prevalent around all age groups and they identified the school age groups to be susceptible to the use of prescription drug use.

Some of the ineffective drug prevention programs are D.A.R.E because it lacks some of the key elements found to be effective in programs such as the reinforcement of lessons over time. Drug Abuse Resistance Education D.A.R.E was created in 1983 where police officers were asked to go to school to warn about the dangers of drug use and “underscore the pluses of a drug-free way of life”. A suggesting for an effective program is one that unfolds over a long period of time or even years so that the goals of programs are reinforced over time and as children mature and encounter different environments.

Conclusively, the younger population and specifically emerging teens need the truth about drugs as opposed to the same strategies that once was subjected in high school. Decades of scare tactics haven’t worked and during the 1980s, drug prevention took the form of the pervasive slogan popularized by Nancy Reagan “Just Say No”. Decades later, many teenagers are still forced to endure similar approaches, despite the many studies over the years showing that programs demanding abstinence not only haven’t lowered drug use but may have increased it. Nine out of 10 people who become addicted tried drugs before the age of 18, according to a 2011 study by researchers at Columbia University. The Surgeon General of the study concluded in a report a few years ago saying, ‘The earlier the exposure, the greater the risk.’

To conclude, there are many efforts to combat the opioid epidemic which some are too focused on finding who to blame, and others who indirectly takes the blame such as Purdue Pharma. The goals of suggested programs have found innovated ways to prevent opioid drug abuse such as ‘Text a Tip’ and the use of pharmacists to convey the danger of prescription drug abuse. In previous efforts such as D.A.R.E they would ask law enforcements to come into schools to scare students off which resulted in close no progress. The scare tactics of the 1980s also proved that new programs should be put in place in schools at younger levels so they can reinforce what they have learned through the programs and take it into different environments.

What if I told you that millions of job possibilities and A boom in the economy is all possible and could be fully Implemented within the next five years? A controversial topic in society about the legalization of all controlled substances for an economic growth. The legalization of all controlled substances would positively boost our economy, open our freedoms, expand research and knowledge to our community and aid in our legal system for people who have sentences for non-violent drug charges. Studies show that people who are charged and sent to seek help for their non-violent drug charges improve versus the people who are incarcerated. This paper will include five different trustworthy sources explaining the positive impact this change would make in society.

Going more into depth on the legalization of controlled substances for an economic boost for thousands of years illegal drugs were not restricted and legally sold to their people and their use was not frowned upon. In the early 20th century the prohibition acts around the world came into play banning the use, sale, and possession of a vast amount of substances. A better use of our tax paying could go to treating drugs as a health benefit, this would help countries develop and help increase the study to medicalize these substances to their fullest extent. The general US spending for drug prohibition is $40 billion every year on drug prohibition and that’s just the outside cost. Not including perpetual poverty in society and at home, otherwise productive citizens incarcerated, and increased violence. Nobel Prize winning economist Gary Becker states that “ Drug prohibition increases addiction because it makes users reluctant to seek out treatment”. Prohibition of drugs is not effective at exterminating their use. As the global drug trade continues to thrive, developing countries are negatively affected the most with violent crimes against others and themselves.

The controlled substance act prohibits the unauthorized possession of drugs that the D.E.A. has determined to be “dangerous” and “habit forming” or inappropriate of use without a prescription. The controlled substance act has a lot of flaws in its system, even states have enacted their own schedules in determining the level and legality a substance holds. Where in some states the use of medical and recreational use is legal and in others possession and use is a misdemeanor depending on the charge. Consider a case in which the defendant is caught giving marijuana to a colleague. A prosecutor could potentially charge the case as simple possession, possession with intent to distribute, delivery, trafficking, conspiracy to commit trafficking, and so on. Prisons in the United States are so overall crowded that government data shows a significantly large number of that population is incarcerated for non-violent drug offences. Incarceration rates exceed the status quo for support from government that other options are available to first offence citizens besides going to jail especially if they accept a voluntary plea bargain in court. If you are facing criminal prosecution for a controlled substance violation, it is critical to seek an attorney and refrain from talking with law enforcement. The law provides you with strong protections,but you need an experienced attorney to guide you.

The education of drugs their positive and negative effects to the human body need to be properly distributed to our youth in their early educational years. The well known “D.A.R.E” program is highly flawed and actually increased the rate of drug use. A peer-reviewed, six year study of D.A.R.E. from 1989 to 1996 showed that suburban students who participated in D.A.R.E. reported a 3%-5% higher rate of substance use than suburban students who did not participate. Another survey of D.A.R.E. by the California Department of Education found that 40% of students told researchers they were ‘not at all’ influenced by D.A.R.E., and nearly 70% reported neutral to negative feelings about those leading the program. 33% of middle school students and 90% of high school students reported ‘negative’ or ‘indifferent’ feelings towards D.A.R.E. Students reported that the D.A.R.E. message is used to often and creates a natural ignorance for that message. These students need to be educated properly about its possible medical benefits along with its potential negative effects and reason for age restrictions.

An article “would legalizing illicit opioids reduce overdose fatalities” presents an abstract understanding of how the legalization of illicit opioids would allow for medical scientists to measure and dose purer form. This would hevely decrease the negative effects along with lowering the possibility to overdose on this substance along with the legalization of other illegal substances. A part of this article states “it is theoretically possible that if all heroin users were treated in highly supervised treatment programmes this would result in a major fall in mortality, if all doses were consumed in the supervised treatment setting with post-dose observation. The likelihood of such a treatment provision is minimal. In the community setting” this states that this kind of research is considered “immoral” or in other words not socially accepted by society but is still posibile. Drug purity and drug impurity is the biggest cause of drug overdose.

Finally the harms associated with illegal substances, although drugs in the present and in the future could potentially become less of a threat on our bodies. It has its downsides such as negative health benefits that include; long-term risks , short term, risk of physical and psychological dependence, risk to society, and risk of bingeing. The leading least beneficial most harmful substance is tobacco surprisingly, Journal of Psychopharmacology (Oxford, England) states “Tobacco was consistently ranked in the bottom three drugs in terms of benefits, with the exception of relieving anxiety/ depression or feeling more relaxed/ relieving stress. Whilst tobacco was ranked seventh in overall harms, this drug was unsurprisingly associated with high long-term physical risk and risk of reliance. Tobacco had the highest proportion of likely dependent users as classified by the CAGE.” the legalization of this product above other more beneficial substances does not make sense to society surprising the second least beneficial most harmful is amphetamines and alcohol. Another statement made by the journal of Psychotherapy “Amphetamines and alcohol were rated to be of medium benefit. Both were rated as drugs with high risk of bingeing and craving, but amphetamines scored highly on benefits of stimulant effects such as waking up/ having more energy, changing the appearance of the body and were ranked as the most beneficial drugs in terms of improving attention, memory and concentration. Alcohol was thought to be highly beneficial for sociability. It was ranked fifth in terms of harms, with particularly high risk to society and risk of bingeing.” this stating that the two most used legal substances are the least beneficial to most harmful on the market.

Understanding the possibilities of different leagalizations and for what reasons is a great way to keep educated on the current production and distribution of legal and illegal substances. The legalization of all controlled substances would positively boost our economy, open our freedoms, expand research and knowledge to our community and aid in our legal system for people who have sentenced for non-violent drug charges. Our nation firmly believes our future holds many unknown secrets to success let further education in our medical and recreational use of controlled substances, advance us to make society a more knowledgeable, safer and profitable place for us and our future generations.

The war on drugs has been very harsh due to the way our government is handling the situation. A lot of people have a very strong taboo when talking about marijuana, and this just comes to show how much the government can make you think a certain way about a topic without having any form of information on it. Many years ago the USA government had a very racially biased look at the drug. They decided to link the use of said drug on to minorities to more potentially disbar the groups. Marihuana has been cropped for over a millennia and once one is informed its harm is undebatable comparable to other drugs.

During the Great Depression the budget for the Federal Bureau of Narcotics was cut so, the commissioner Harry J. Anslinger decided they needed to find a new chemical to deprecate in ordered to maintain relevant and not get shut down. So they grabbed something a lot of people didn’t like at the time and linked it with the drug use. They started making propaganda saying that Marijuana makes Mexicans, and Blacks thirst for white blood and spreading the rumor, which succeeded. All of that led to a huge amount of propaganda in movies, newspaper saying how bad the drug is, and worked because 7 years later Marihuana was banned.

The true irony is that the government knew that Anslinger claims were false, Scientists proved Marihuana wasn’t connected to violence and insanity, and the effects were pretty much the opposite in the 40’s . In 1973 a bipartisan commission recommended Nixon to decriminalize it. Mainly because of the Hippie Movement “Make love, Not Wars” started rising and people where catching on to the true facts about the drug. Counsel and Assistant to the President for Domestic Affairs under President Richard Nixon explained as to why they would not decriminalize it perfectly and said

“The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people. You understand what I’m saying? We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities. We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did.”

It is outraging to know that this is a real quote and that it was clear Nixon started the War on drugs to bully his political enemies and minorities. You’d think that after many years and a lot of scientific backup this has changed but it hasn’t at all for the good. Despite laws have been loosed in a few states, Marihuana still accounts for half of all drug arrests. And regardless of the fact that white and black people smoke at the same rate, Black people are 4 times more likely to get arrested in use of the drug.

We keep on being overruled by racist own laws to diminish minorities, we are starting to wake up and rest orating our Laws. An USA rep said this at a Pot Hearing to the FDA of Drugs. “ It is ludicrous, absurd, crazy, to have marihuana in the same level as heroin. Nobody dies from Marihuana, people die from heroin. Heroin and meth are 2 drugs that are ravaging our country, and every death is responsible of the FDA drug priorities for not putting emphasis on the drugs that kill. That’s why ever since you installed the D.A.R.E program the usage of drugs of young teens has doubled. People don’t smoke pot and beat up their wives.”

Straight to the facts Marihuana has never had any registered death due to overdose, while other regular drugs like tobacco are guilty of 1 out of every 5 deaths in the US and alcohol has 2,200 deaths a year. Alcohol is even as said so by President Barack Obama ”Smoking Marijuana is a bad habit but the damage is not remotely close to drinking alcohol.”. And even so smoking marihuana is seen as a terrible act when smoking a deadly cigarrete or having a couple of drinks is totally normal

Today in modern days we are being able to research more about the drug since its become legal in a lot of states. Scientist have found many great medical uses for the drug that have astonishing incomparable results to a handful of pills you would normally take. A lot of people also suggest the idea that the government does not want marihuana to be legal due to its good results in the medical field and the economic downfall that would generate in pharmacy products. But I think that they should consider the billion dollar business regulating marihuana could be. A good solution to the war on drugs, more specifically on Marihuana is to get started by saying the real facts and emphasizing the levels of each drug and fairly make the most consequential illegal. As the US Rep Steve Cohen said to the DEA of Drugs “You need to stop lying and start responding the real important questions in order for teens to hear you and save a lot of future addicts.

Youth drug usage

High school drug usage has affected the youth throughout history. Through analyzing what type of drug usage high schoolers today are using, and the lasting effects it has on their bodies, astonishing statistics support the popularity of alcohol, marijuana and nicotine usage in today’s youth. Through awareness via mental health focused classes, educating our youth beginning at a young age and continue throughout their academic career and organizations such as D.A.R.E., drug usage can be combatted and decreased.

Awareness to social problems beyond course work

Drug usage in high school students is common today. However, through experience, communication with peers about their high school experiences and observations, drug use appears highly overlooked because it seems like it is not seen as a “major” problem. Many people view it as “kids being kids” and that it will not have lasting effects. However, through this project, it was discovered that this is the total opposite of what can happen. When a person experiments with drugs repeatedly, his/her body starts to become accustom to them. Thus, over time and with usage, it requires their body to intake more than it initially did. This ultimately can lead to addiction, physical developmental problems and mental health issues (DrugRehab.com). According to a study done by DrugRehab.com, nearly 60% of high school students have tried alcohol, and approximately 50% have tried some form of “hard” drug.

Unfortunately, those individuals that partake in experimenting with drugs and/or alcohol do not realize the lasting effects of them. First, the abuse of these substances can impact their school performance. Also, they may lose interest in physical and positive, healthy social extra-curricular activities. It is possible that continued drug/alcohol usage can lead to larger issues such as truancy and even leaving school altogether. Also, there is a direct correlation between minors consuming under age and increases in mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and increased suicide attempts. In addition, those who drink prior to being 21 years old are 43% more likely to become alcoholics. Along with the mental health aspects, physical developmental problems can arise from abused drug usage. For instance, alcohol abuse in minors can decrease the expected height up to 4.6 inches. Although there are medical purposes for it, marijuana usage specifically can have lasting negative physical effects. Despite the many risks of using it, this is a very popular drug amongst high schoolers. In a survey conducted by DrugRehab.com, 70% of high schoolers do not see this drug as harmful. However, marijuana can affect parts of the brain that are still developing. Also, it can increase aging of the brain, ultimately leading to diseases such as schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety. Nicotine, the third most popular drug amongst kids aged 9th-12th grade, has numerous health risks. More specifically, vaping is the popular form of consuming this drug. Initially, vaping was developed to help smokers quit. However, today that is not the case. High schoolers are starting out with vaping, and then moving onto cigarettes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that 30.7% of those who vape will smoke cigarettes within the next six months. Nicotine’s health risks include harming adolescent brains, influencing other drugs and can ultimately cause cancer. Youth drug usage cannot be overlooked. If the trend continues, drugs can lead to an increase of deaths, addiction, and many mental and physical health issues.

Education is the key to bring awareness to this social problem. One way to do this is through informational pamphlets made available to educators, parents and teens at schools and doctors’ offices. These brochures would discuss the effects of drugs, how parents and educators can talk to children about them, the importance of children being involved in activities outside of school and classes/workshops that are offered in the area that are mental health focused. Schools need to provide mental health and drug awareness focused presentations throughout children’s’ academic careers sharing the facts and statistics included in the brochures, Also, school workers, parents and other important adults should encourage youth to be involved in extra-curricular activities and hobbies, and the DARE program should be implemented in schools and after school organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club, Girls Inc, YMCA, etc. Through these initiatives, youth will be more informed of the ill effects of drugs and alcohol, better equipped to make wiser choices and know they have a support system of adults.

How does it further an understanding of issues of inequality?

The project furthers an understanding of issues of inequality by pointing out the facts regarding drug usage among high schoolers. Drug use inequality can be seen, and may even begin, in secondary schools when it is being overlooked and not addressed until those who partake develop serious addictions and problems. Kids want to fit in and seek popularity in school. Also, they may feel peer pressure to take drugs. However, drug standards differ between adults and youth. Many time youth seek peer attention and do not realize the ill effects until it is too late. For instance, alcohol standards differ from adolescents to adults. Adolescents usually partake in more binge drinking than adults. However, it is in the adolescent years when they develop these binge drinking habits. If these issues are addressed with younger generations, then the inequality and standards gap will be smaller. Regarding marijuana, the inequality exists because of what youth do under the influence compared to adults. Adolescents tend to engage in riskier behavior such as driving and unprotected sex. According to the CDC, 1/8 of high schoolers nationally drive while high. If an individual drives while being under the influence of marijuana, then he/she is 65% more likely to crash the vehicle. Thus, addressing and discussing how risky behavior can lead to life altering actions with the younger generations, the inequality can be shrunk.

Lastly, the inequality in nicotine exists with older generations influencing younger ones. Educating older generations who consume nicotine about the ill effects of this drug and encourage them to be more proactive in teaching children and youth about it can help younger generations not to be under such pressure to partake. Regarding drug usage, the inequality dwells within the standards that are set between age groups. No community is immune to drugs or drug abuse however, being educated with the facts, the ill effects and ways to combat its usage can curtail its use and issues of inequality. According to the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse and Health, drug problems among college graduates are nearly one-third lower than those for high school dropouts and those who do not have an education to find a job increase their odds of becoming an addict. Thus, by older generations educating youth throughout their school career, students getting addicted and dropping out of school can be reduced and thus, the inequality gap will be smaller.

How does it relate to core course concepts, theories, methods, and to sociological approaches to studying social problems?

High school drug usage relates directly to the core concept of alcohol and drug abuse being discussed in class. Younger generations partake in risky behavior which can ultimately lead to alcohol and drug abuse. Although there are many different approaches to studying this problem, the functionalist theory is the best. The functionalist theory suggests “every piece of society is interdependent and contributes to the functioning of society as a whole unit.” This lens allows us to realize that there is a discrepancy in how our society is functioning. The discrepancy exists because these younger generations are partaking in drug usage and not necessarily being educated or provided alternatives that direct them into a more positive, healthy path. By them doing this, society is not working to its maximum potential. For instance, by looking at the example of job productivity, perhaps those who are in the work force need to increase their productivity because younger generations are becoming addicted to drugs, making them incapable of performing to their full potential. According to the functionalist theory, gradual social reform is what is needed to address the social issue of youth drug usage. This is done through the communities working together, educating our youth and guiding them into a more productive, healthy lifestyle.

How is the project a form of social action to address the social problem?

This project served as a social action by raising awareness of drug use and possible ways the community can combat usage. By identifying the top three common drugs used by high schoolers, parents and peers will become more aware of them. Also, not only does the project bring awareness to these drugs, but also it states facts, statistics and possible lasting effects these drugs can have on an individual. According to Teendrugrehab, if parents and children converse about drugs, they are 42% less likely to engage with drugs. However, only 25% of parents have these conversations with their kids. By making informative brochures containing facts and statistics about drug use and effects as well as possible ways to combat this issue such as education and mental health focused classes, community members and youth will be better informed. The brochures are a wonderful resource to encourage parents and children to have open conversations about drug use. The goal of these brochures is to have them readily available at schools, after school organizations, doctors’ offices, etc and used to combat this epidemic.

How does this project connect to local organizations focusing on the same problem?

A local organization the brochures directly correlate with is D.A.R.E. This stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education. The D.A.R.E. organization has been around since 1980 and focuses on addressing different drug resistance techniques. It is taught by local police officers and targets students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. It is executed in more than 75% of school districts nationally and exists in 52 countries globally. According to their website, they provide the most comprehensive drug prevention curricula in the world. The program provides universal prevention rather than just focusing on at-risk students. Their main goal of their curriculum-driven school-based drug prevention program is to encourage students to make decisions to never use drugs (dare.com). The program, like the project brochure, provides facts and statistics regarding drug use. Also, the program opens the door for parent-child conversations about this topic much like the brochures do. It is an easy program for schools and after school organizations to implement. The program consists of ten 45-60 minute lessons taught by a trained D.A.R.E. police officer. The cost is $1.29 per student which is for the student’s workbook. Upon completion of the course, the school/organization can have a celebration “graduation” from the program when students sign to be drug free (dare.com).

In conclusion, through this project, much knowledge was gained about the social problem of drug and alcohol usage among today’s youth. By creating a readily available brochure that educates and provides school workers, parents, guardians and child care employees with facts and statistics regarding drug use and its effects, quality informative conversations with youth can take place. The goal of this project is to not only promote open, positive dialogue about drugs between adults and youth but also bring awareness to the drug abuse issue among youth and promote the availability of mental health focused classes and living a healthy, positive life style.

Drug addiction is taking over many people’s lives and destroying many families due to this. There are many different ways to help people who are in need of help, people who want to stop drugging themselves but can’t because they have no type of help and are too addicted already. There are many different ways to get over the counter drugs, so people take advantage of that, which is not the greatest thing to do. To resolve this problem, the government should open up more rehabs and detox centers. Most teens do not escalate from trying drugs to developing an addiction or other substance use disorder.

Over the counter drugs can cause a higher rate of teen deaths and can also cause mental illness, heart & lung disease and many other things that will affect your life and family.People should open up more drug rehabs for those who need it. There is a high chance that it will fix it because there are many drug addicts that are in need of help but don’t actually know how to get help and I think that will help a lot. The cause is over the counter drugs, this can affect many young teens and can cause an increase in teen deaths because they think it’s a joke to mess around and take drugs. Due to this there has been high percentages of teen overdose. The serious health risks of drugs compound the need to get an adolescent who is abusing drugs into treatment as quickly as possible. Also, adolescents who are abusing drugs are likely to have other issues such as mental health problems accompanying and possibly contributing to their substance use, and these also need to be addressed

These teens thinks its a joke to mess around and take over the counter drugs as a joke and get addicted to them. There have been many families that have been hurt because of this and till this day, not only teens take advantage of over the counter drugs but adults as well. People should open up more drug rehabs for those who need it. There is a high chance that it will fix it because there are many drug addicts that are in need of help but don’t actually know how to get help and I think that will help a lot.It substantiates my claims because there aren’t many drug rehabs drug detox centers out there and people really need to start caring for other people as well. It’s not always going to be about you, it’s always good to help others out in what they need so it’ll help them and their family members to have a nice and healthy family. Drug use at an early age is an important predictor of development of a substance use disorder later. The majority of those who have a substance use disorder started using before age 18 and developed their disorder by age 20

There are hundreds of drug resistance programs around the country today, but they have still yet to prove that they are a truly effective way to overcoming drug dependency. We should have better programs in order for it to work out for people. Programs such as D.A.R.E. and NORML forming and claiming to be effective in helping people resist peer pressure and possibly even overcome addiction, these programs are helpful and can help prevent more drug addicts.Many believe that people that do drugs do them just to do them and even if this is true in some cases, no one wakes up one morning and decides that today is the day .The ones who could support my solution are the people whose family members are in need of help and can’t get it because they do not know where to find help. In cases when a teen does develop a pattern of repeated use, it can pose serious social and health risks, including school failure,problems with family and other relationships,loss of interest in normal healthy activities & impaired memory.

Increases in death drug overdose is something really bad happening here in california. Drugs alter the way people think, feel, and behave by disrupting neurotransmission, the process of communication between brain cells. The ones who could support my solution are the people whose family members are in need of help and can’t get it because they do not know where to find help.Its benefits are that teens and adults can continue to live a long and healthy life with their family members and can be drug free after a lot of things they had to go through. Programs have helped many people and they couldn’t have done a better job in doing what they do, which is to help those who are in need. The programs have a lot of benefits and there have been studies where attending to a good program can be very helpful, although it may be very expensive but it is never too late to start a new life without drugs.

Drug addiction is something nobody should fall into. It makes you look bad and can have different risks or can just cause death. Some people are not actually into drugs but have probably been forced to try it out and people have actually died after just trying it out once. If you ever get trapped into falling for drug addiction its best for you to ask for help and join a program so they can help you out. It is best to ask for help instead of just staying there and keep drugging yourself. People should just not do drugs and if you fall into being an addict ask for help, try to avoid friends who are addicted, drugs are not something you should play with.Think about you and your family before trying something out that will affect your life for ever with simply just doing it once, people have different reactions to things so it’s just best to stay away from them

Police departments utilized several tactics when it comes to substance use and abuse, possession, distribution, sale, and trafficking. Supply reduction, which includes “buy-and-bust, trading up, undercover work, and crackdown.” Also Demand reduction, which includes “drug education programs such as DARE” (Walker & Katz, 2018 p303). These programs and tactics where created during the late 1980’s “when drugs represented serious problems for the police, criminal justice system, and society.” (Walker & Katz, 2018 p304). Even though the programs such as the ones mentioned above, wherein place drugs has always been a factor is in the criminal world and crime-fighting to this day.

Firstly, demand and supply will increase in all aspects. They are ranging from consumptions, public use, distribution, retail, taxes, city fines, arrests, citations, court cases, and access. Even though marijuana has become legalized in many states up until this day in some states, it is still illegal, and while it can be legal on a state level, federally it still has not been and probably will not be legalized. However, in New York City, there are already three legal dispensaries for the distribution of medical marijuana with a procedural guideline as to who is qualified to get the licenses based on actual diagnosed medical conditions. In conjunction with other conditions that are not treatable by traditional medicine.

The public knowledge about these changes will have people believe that using freely in public is also legal if they do not have amounts over 25 grams on their person “decriminalizing marijuana by improving the law.” (Marijuana Policy Project, 2019). This new change in legalization is only in place as a result of the denial of legalization. Decriminalizing marijuana to eliminate over crowed and overdue court cases, avoid arrest for small possession, and reduction in fines. It is still illegal to use in public or possess on one’s person. It is just that instead of getting processed through the system, a person can get a ticket or fine based on amount.

It is known to many as (DARE) Drug abuse Resistance Education. This program has been around since 1983. I remember when in elementary and middle school they used to come often and talk to us about not using drugs with acronym knows as (DDD) Do not Do drug or (SNTD) Say No to Drugs. They utilized the big dog with the inspector gadget type custom. It was amazing, sorry for the rant. Okay, so DARE has been operational since then and used in about “75 percent of the nation’s school districts and adopted in 44 foreign countries.” (Walker & Katz, 2018 p305). Even though this is a highly utilized program. Research has no factual or hard data, to confirm any impact in the lives of the thousands of people who have gone through it.

However, I think that DARE is utilized because it is the dumbed-down method to expose young children to learn what drugs are and what they can do to you also showing them what drugs look like and to be honest preventative tactics that not only can prevent a child from taking drugs but also even interacting with strangers and possible kidnapping occurring. Education is one of the most critical variables we have in life and that we utilize to learn, teach, and grow, as individuals also collectively. Educating the youth on such harm full substances about the word is also a method of helping them see beyond what they believe exists in society in some ways. Also, the belief that “education is an effective approach” is one of the many reasons why this program is still striving to this very day.

Overall, changes will always follow with its challenges, especially in high society like the one we live in today. We need to do our best and prepare to manage and or adapt to the challenges and ways to minimize the aftermath.

Combating Gangs

Today, fighting back against juvenile gangs proves to be a strenuous task in which it takes willful individuals to stand up to. The G.R.E.A.T program or Gang Resistance Education and Training Program, established in 1991 appears to be one the most effective ways to deter delinquents against gangs (Lab & Whitehead, 133). In researching, a lot of charismatic officers welcome the program with open arms and also actively participate in them. With youth observing and participating in these programs, it assures them that more than just family members, parents and guardians care about their well-being and social inclines. This program can reach out to young adults as well as current gang members looking to turn their lives around or keep themselves on a straight and narrow path. The G.R.E.A.T. program consists of 5 sections intertwined to combat unlawful behaviors from juveniles: Public, Law Enforcement, Students, Educators and Parents/Guardians. (G.R.E.A.T Program, web)

Another tactic to combat juvenile gang affiliations is the Boston Gun Project or also known as Operation Ceasefire. This project started up around 1996 in Boston, Massachusetts which focused in on youth and the unlawful uses of firearms. (Wikipedia) This is where law enforcement got involved in heavily charging juvenile gang members with the simplest of gun crimes. Charges such as a simple possession of a firearm meant that the criminal could do some serious time. With this program implemented, there were noted significant reductions in pistol violations by gang members alone. (Lab & Whitehead, 133). Essentially, what the Gun Project does is label and target low-income, low-class, poverty stricken, uneducated youths to try to deter and segregate them from the high crime areas by hanging their prior convictions and near-miss brushes with the law against them. This can also fall under the term of Civil Gang Injunctions (Lab & Whitehead, 132). Police officials do this in an effort to use a scare-tactic and prevent gang association, if you will, to get them to do right or risk future jail time with convictions. (YouTube-Filmore Gang Injunctions) This tactic however has been proven to serve as a roller-coaster effect to those labeled within the gang injunctions. Moreover, those who are those alike, who attended the same schools and grew up together within the same neighborhoods also “deem” it unsatisfactory.

The Beyond Scared Straight TV series is a program that has been proven effective. As young delinquents who appear tough and wayward on the streets form contact with real juveniles and inmates on the inside of prison cells, they are then accessed and given a second opportunity to clean up their acts before falling victim to the criminal system themselves.

Drug Treatment & Prevention Programs

Since gangs are stemmed by influences from other peers, it is safe to say that drugs are a major distributing factor around gang associations. Drugs undoubtedly affect a person’s mental capacity and judgement. An assessment conducted in 2012 suggested that 170,000+ juveniles were arrested for drug offenses in the United States alone. (Lab & Whitehead, 146). There are many drug treatment programs and drug rehab facilities that have been effective for youth. Perhaps that is how gangs enlarge their territories and recruit due to similar interests in abusing drugs and alcohol at such young ages. Maintenance programs assist in aiding a struggling individual battling with addictions they can not help themselves with.

The D.A.R.E. Program started in Los Angeles around the 1980s was a widely talked about drug program influencing youth to steer from drugs. The term stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education. Basically, it was a program reinforcing teens to stay off drugs by having them sign a promissory document with their refusal to get involved in drugs and paraphernalia. Since then, the program has declined drastically and has been labeled ineffective. However, it is up to the community, police officials, school teachers, parents and friends to come together collectively and consistently educate our young children against drug use and addictions.

I am writing to you in an attempt to influence you to vote against House Bill 180. I have become very spirited and passionate about this subject and have done extensive research, so I hope you will take my points into consideration. Before continuing, I would like to thank you in advance for your time and consideration while reading through my argument. In an upcoming legislature meeting, you are going to be voting on House Bill 180 which purposes the Syringe and Needle Exchange Act. This act is a community-based program that would provide sterile needles and syringes and a facility for safe disposal of used needles free of cost to drug users.

The main purpose of purposing this bill was to reduce the number of diseases spread by drug users using dirty needles and syringes. While this might sound like a good plan to reduce diseases it is not because, in the long run, it is only granting drug users permission to use their drugs after getting a clean needle that the government has provided them with. With many factors taken into consideration, I believe that you should vote against this bill. The needle exchange program is objectively wrong and should be prohibited due to its encouragement of drug use. For a moment I would like you to picture yourself as a pilot of an airplane traveling to a very exciting and new destination. As you take off and begin to gain altitude, slowly watching the ground fade away, you begin to get excited and eager to meet your final destination. However, all of the sudden your plane begins to shake and you lose control. As your plane is losing altitude you are given two choices. First, you can try to change courses and regain control outside of the turbulence.

The second, you continue on course and spin down to the earth in a fiery crash. This scenario that I just placed in your mind is one that is very similar to a drug addicts life. At the beginning of an addiction, a person might seem like they are on top of the world, in control, free, and strong. However, they are really just beginning the turbulent course that leads them to devote most of their efforts and aids to find another fix. One way to encourage and aid addicts is to supply them with the resources to continue their self-annihilation, and lead them down the path that eventually ends in fiery destruction. These resources are given out through the Syringe and Needle Act. People might agree with this bill because some statistics have shown that this method works to reduce disease epidemics. These people believe that there shouldn’t be any controversy regarding these programs because there is no evidence that anyone will suddenly experiment with heroin because free needles are available. They state that these programs are for people with serious drug addictions. While some of these remarks might be true, they are still purposing an unhealthy lifestyle that has effects greater than the person who is taking advantage of free needles. House Bill 180 is not the first bill of its kind to be suggested. In fact, 14 states have already enacted this act.

Many of these states have had success in lowering the disease rate throughout drug users. However, other problems have arisen regarding the active Needle Exchange Acts. One of the major problems being a number of reports of discarded needles in public places outside of the needle exchange programs. In San Francisco, California “400,000 needles are distributed monthly, the health department estimates that about 246,000 come back through its 13 syringe access and disposal sites” states Phil Matier. This means that there are still 154,000 syringes that are still circulating and potentially being reused, which could still spread the diseases that the same exact act is trying to dwindle. Discarding used needles in public places such as parks, walkways, and public gardens without the proper safety precautions not only degrades the community-cleanliness, but it also spreads the same diseases that the government was trying to prevent. While the act might cut down on the diseases spread throughout drug users, dirty needles are still on the streets for children and other less fortunate drug users to find, use, and contract a disease. There are also many factors that go into this bill that will draw negative press from non-drug users because providing drug addicts with sterile needles in exchange for their old ones sends an overall wrong message to society as a whole.

A needle exchange sanctions bad behavior by suggesting that doing the wrong thing will be rewarded with official permission from the government to continue doing it. Children in Idaho are starting as early as elementary school learning about the negative impacts of substance abuse. As of 2014 Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E) provides a school-based substance abuse prevention program in 75 percent of the United States school districts (‘Is the D.A.R.E. Program Good for America’s Kids K-12?’). Many Idaho schools use the program and it has been proven to be effective. However, a needle exchange program encourages the exact opposite message, condoning immoral behavior. Our government should focus on discouraging the use of drugs and providing a more productive treatment for recovery instead. Young children are more at risk for taking more risks and must receive a clear message on drugs, which should match the no tolerance policy being condemned in the D.A.R.E. Program that many Idaho students have or will participate in.

The Syringe and Needle Exchange Act sends the wrong message to young impressionable children and other parts of society as well. Giving clean needles is no way to solve the drug problems that afflict Idaho’s society. By enacting this bill we would be ignoring the underlying issues that lead to drug dependence thus creating more drug addicts. The fatality rate of overdoses is not the only concern that arises either because by supplying drug users with sterile supplies it will also provide drug dealers prime locations to sell injectable drugs. This leads to a corrupt environment in communities. The environment within a community is a significant factor in its framework. House Bill 180 reads “There is no fiscal impact to the General Fund because the program is completely voluntary in nature. Any costs incurred would be borne by the organization conducting the exchange”. This means that the needle exchanges are a community-based program which creates an undesirable environment by attracting drug addicts as well as dealers. The idea in itself is off-putting especially to those who are in neighborhoods and have families. Typically the behavior of an addict is undesirable, especially when on a drug. In fact, according to The Bureau of Justice statistics, 36% of violent crimes were directly related to drug use. Therefore, a needle exchange program creates an unsafe environment. Bringing in drug dealers and addicts into a community makes the area more prone to crime. There are many more productive alternatives that the government could back such as finding the root cause of drug abuse, which is addiction and dependency, instead of sanctioning free handouts of clean needles.

The government should instead focus to create more opportunities for counseling, providing healthcare, and funding rehab facilities. As the program is now, the primary mission is collecting dirty needles in replacement of clean needles in an effort to reduce the transmission of HIV, AIDS, and strains of Hepatitis. This does not address or solve the problem of addiction, and therefore it will only continue to help the dependency of drugs to become more severe. Some people might argue that both the Syringe and Needle Exchange Act and rehab facilities can work together to reduce drug users. They are incorrect because the program’s implicit encouragement of intervenous drug use and the creation of problems within communities point to a disaster in the future. House Bill 180 should not be passed in Idaho’s 2019 legislature session. The Syringe and Needle Exchange Act only postpones the inevitable demise of the drug user and quickly shows that it is the wrong answer to preventing drug abuse. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read this letter. I hope that it brought out some of the key flaws that come along with the bill and that you might think before voting in favor of this bill when it comes time for you to vote again. Sincerely, McKenzie Emerson

Research Methods

1937 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Albert Szent-Györgyi once said, “discovery is seeing what everybody else has seen, and thinking what nobody else has thought.” Research is a discovery of things – and to discover community is to know its background through research. Research is essential especially in the field of Psychology. Research is both utilized and an essential tool for Community Psychology. Through research and its methodology, we can measure programs contextually. Research plays an important role in understanding a community contextually.

Research plays an important role in the flourishing of our community. (Bess, Fisher, Sonn, & Bishop, 2002) There different recorded studies that influence Community Psychology. One study standout as many of people spent money and effort for it. It is the DARE program of 1983. (Glantsman, O’Brien, & Ramian, 2019)

DARE program stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education which seeks to prevent drug, gang, and violent behavior in the Los Angeles schools. It was an initiative made by LAPD Chief Daryl Gates and the Los Angeles Unified School District. DARE programs was their envisioned action to the American war on drugs. However, several studies disproved it. Some of the studies are the following: Ennet, Tobble, Ringwalt, and Flewelling (1994) stated that DARE program does not prevent drug use using meta-analysis. Aniskiewicz and Wysong (1987) also evaluated that Project DARE was ineffective on preventing drugs for schools.

There lots of studies that disproved this theory. However, it was redeveloped by Dr. Richard Clayton and now focuses on programs like anti-bullying, and the like. Research is part of our field. In every aspect of the Psychology, research is vital as it provides backbone for a claim. These studies help community to further upgrade and update in promoting social justice and community awareness. Studies, like DARE program, are eye-openers that promote an ethical and proper conducting of research. (Matthews & Kostelis, 2019) It is important to have an effective and backed by studies of programs in order to conduct a program.

These programs promote community participation, awareness, and security. I realize that not all “experts”-based programs are effective. Some may be appealing as it carries the name “experiment” or “study”. We should always remember to support our claims with studies and literatures. These related literatures and studies provide not only similar claims but support that proves your claim. Research should be ethical and accurate as your related literatures. This will mitigate your study to be disproved.

Research helps Community Psychology to understand its problem contextually. Several studies, like DARE program, may be ineffective but further being developed and vamped. Additionally, there are other methodologies or experiments that may be effective in engaging to our community.

References:

1. Aniskiewicz, R. E. and E. E. Wysong. 1987. Project DARE Evaluation Report: Kokomo Schools Spring, 1987. Kokomo: Indiana University at Kokomo,Department of Sociology.
2. Bess K.D., Fisher A.T., Sonn C.C., Bishop B.J. (2002) Psychological Sense of Community: Theory, Research, and Application. In: Fisher A.T., Sonn C.C., Bishop B.J. (eds) Psychological Sense of Community. The Plenum Series in Social/Clinical Psychology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0719-2_1
3. Ennett, S. T., Tobler, N. S., Ringwalt, C. L., & Flewelling, R. L. (1994). How effective is drug abuse resistance education? A meta-analysis of Project DARE outcome evaluations. American journal of public health, 84(9), 1394–1401. https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.84.9.1394
4. Jason, L. A., Glantsman, O., O’Brien, J. F., & Ramian, K. N. (2019). Introduction to the field of Community Psychology. In L. A. Jason, O. Glantsman, J. F. O’Brien, & K. N. Ramian (Eds.), Introduction to Community Psychology: Becoming an agent of change. Retrieved from https://press.rebus.community/introductiontocommunitypsychology/chapter/intro-to-communitypsychology/
5. Matthews, T. & Kostelis, K. (2019). Ethics in Research. 10.4324/9780429452314-11 https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.84.9.1394
6. https://press.rebus.community/introductiontocommunitypsychology/chapter/intro-to-communitypsychology/
7. https://press.rebus.community/introductiontocommunitypsychology/chapter/intro-to-communitypsychology/