...to educate a kid on drugs.

Questions I urge you to answer or at least consider prior to reading:
How did I learn about drugs?
How does society define a drug? Do I agree with harsh penalities when people are convicted of "drug related crime"?

Happy New Year to all!
After reading Dr. Carl Hart's book, High Price: A Neuroscientist's Journey of Self-Discovery That Challenges Everything You Know About Drugs and Society in the summer of 2013, I felt compelled to share my thoughts on this serious issue. 

As an educator, I feel we should revisit the topic of drugs in schools and the consequences students face when they violate "no tolerance" policies, specifically surrounding drugs. Did you use drugs in your youth? Do you feel experimentation as an adolescent is a part of growing up? It is...I am not just saying words. In the nearly 7 years I have spent in higher education learning how to be a valuable educator for secondary students, I have had to take several courses relating to human development and behavior. Students are getting arrested and being severly punished and sentenced for drug related crimes. The earlier a student is incarerated the more likely they are to be arrested (for any crime), then sentenced again before reaching adulthood. Young people make questionable decisions - that is a part of being a person whose brain is not fully developed; one cannot expect a 14 year old to make decisions that a 34 (or even a 24) year old would. Experience is the greatest teacher, which means that adolescents and young adults are going to make uninformed and ignorant decisions that could adversely affect their future. Adding harsh penalities to such ill-informed decisions is just wrong and a form of injustice. In the United States, judicial (mis)representatives use the system to be more punitive towards children and youth of color WHO COMMIT SIMILAR OR SAME ACTS with illegal substances. The "injustice" system has been a way to criminalize culture for far too long. In addition, students - children - are not equipped to carefully consider how the use of certain drugs will affect their congnitive abilities, presently and in the future.
In many of the middle and high schools I attended, taught and conducted my field experience in Drug Abuse Resistance Education programs do not exist - in any form. Studies have shown that the D.A.R.E. program is not the most effective way to prevent and stop adolescents from using narcotics and becoming abusers. However, I must point out that the elementary school (that I attended for 2nd through 5th grades) did have a D.A. R. E. program that did have a longlasting effect on my "saying no" to drugs. I have yet to see programs that even educate students on the numerous drugs that exist in our society; there are so many that have emerged in my 30 years. Our program only addressed a few, the major players..."marijuana is a gateway drug... it leads to addiction to cocaine and herion, blah blah blah..." By the way the are more addictive and HARMFUL substances than marijuana...alcohol, cigarettes and prescription drugs.

Think about how living in poverty increases the likelihood of community members becoming drug abusers. Since September 2013 I have been working with students diagnosed with an Emotional Disorder or Emotional Disturbance. According to my coworkers many of my students parents and/or grandparents are drug abusers or are in recovery. Several of my students have files that indicate they have admitted or tested positive for drug use. On a few occassions I have had students attend school with a mind-altering substance in their systems. Instead of having students arrested on school grounds, let's ask questions. People who use drugs are attempting to escape reality. Why does this particular child want to escape their reality? Is it because they have a parent incarcertaed (for drug related or other acts), are they being abused or bullied by a family friend, or are they just curious because their favorite charcter in a movie glorifies "smoking weed"? I work closely with social workers, who encourage students to openly discuss these issues. Yet, there is a disconnect between the administration, resource officiers, and even guidance counselors who are supposed to be working with students - not against them. People who are invovled in the policies that effect students and teachers need to revisit and change laws encouraging the expulsion of students for any level of drug use. No tolerance adds to the categories we already use in schools to separate students. In a school with a "no tolerance" atmosphere students can only get help through "correctional facilities" that are connected to serving a sentence, for behavior that needs to be discussed to offer the right kind of support for every individual. Public schools are supposed to be one of the places where students should be able to mature through life experiences and receive support whenever a negative, questionable or positive choice is made. Howver, we must accept that "negative", "questionable" and "positive" are all relative terms depending on the person, community or authority defining the terms of actions that are acceptable versus unacceptable.

Please note: I am not encouraging the use of narcotics, merely asking that honest and factual conversations occur with young people about drugs.

 Ask yourself: HOW MUCH DO I KNOW ABOUT DRUGS???

Take Away Number 1. Caffiene is a drug. Sugar is a drug and because there are over 50 names (Prevention.com 2013) for it, many people eat it in ignorance. If you were born in the United States, there is a great chance that you have been using drugs since before you were born (cake, pastries, ice cream, chocolate, juice, etc.). If you drink coffee or eat anything for the caffiene you could be an addict. Drugs are substances ingested that are mind-altering - whether consumed on purpose or not.

How does sugar negatively impact your brain?


Side note: I absolutely consume sugar and have had to cut down significantly on consumption, because of the numerous deadly effects sugar has on the body.

Take Away Number 2. Stop abusing and ignoring people who are addicted to a drug. Find a way to connect with them. As human beings we all innately have a need to feel connected to others. We do not need many people to feel connected. When people surround themselves with good people, their lives are more fulfilled. Leading a fulfilled life is essential to not becoming a slave to any drug. Personally I think 2 or 3 people in your inner circle are essential to a healthy life. I.e. A group of friends that gather to eat dinner and drink wine on a weekly basis is socially acceptable and considered normal. Drinking alone and consuming more than one beer or shot of alcohol is considered questionable behavior, that could lead to excessive consumption. A person can be praised for one and shamed for the other. Howeever, I am proposing engagin the latter person into a conversation about why they prefer or opt to consume alcohol alone. Perhaps this person is dealing with issues that they do not feel comfortable sharing
Watch Dr. Hart's TED Talk about the abuse of drug users.
 
Take Away Number 3. Using a drug once does not lead to immediate addiction. Hard narcotics are addictive, yet there are many people who are functional or social drug users - responsible employees, involved parents, and model citizens. There are not enough people talking about the reasons people use drugs - recreationally or routinely. The reasons are far more important than the use and penalties. (I cannot stress number 2 enough.) Do your own research or read about Dr. Hart's. The story is interestingly informative.
Watch Dr. Hart's Google Talk regarding his life experience and extensive research in Neuroscience.