Dare to Say No (Drug Abuse Resistance Education)

From the moment of birth we begin learning skills which enable us to survive in a complex world. Unfortunately, today’s child is subject to many stresses and is faced with many decisions long before coping skills and decision-making skills have been developed. Lacking those skills, a child can make unhealthy decisions under pressure from peers. Children must be taught the skills to say “no” to alcohol and drugs.

Drugs and alcohol are everyone’s problem. No longer can we associate substance abuse with only the criminal element of society. The devastating consequences are evident throughout our society. Drugs and alcohol victimize each and every person, even those who do not use them. Increased instances of violent crimes, robbery, burglary and traffic accidents can be attributed to drug and alcohol. In the work place, employers recognize drugs and alcohol in decreased productivity, disciplinary problems, and absences due to illness.

Some believe the solution to the substance abuse problem is to pass more laws, employ more police officers, prosecutors and judges, and build more prisons. The truth is that enforcement alone cannot solve the problem. As long as society demands drugs and is willing to pay whatever is necessary to get them there will always be those who are willing to take risks to supply them. The only way to put drug suppliers out of business is through the proper balance of enforcement and education which results in increased risks and reduced profits for the suppliers. We must try to reduce the demand for drugs by teaching children the knowledge and skills needed to resist drugs. There are no quick solutions to our deeply rooted drug problem. However, effective prevention programs, combined with vigorous enforcement, will have a positive impact upon our drug problem. Effective prevention instruction must focus on providing accurate information, coping and decision-making skills, and positive alternatives to substance abuse. Scare tactics that teach only the harms of drugs do not always work. Teens want to act grown up. Many of them think that smoking, drinking and exotic drugs are their passport to adulthood. We should attempt to teach teenagers what being grown up really means – resisting peer pressure, making your own decisions, and learning to cope with life’s problems in positive ways.

Thus we should focus on four major areas:

- providing accurate information about drugs and alcohol;

- teaching children decision-making skills;

- showing students how to resist peer pressure;

- providing children ideas for alternatives to drug use.

A variety of activities should be employed by instructors at schools, such as group discussions and role playing. A healthy exchange of ideas and feelings is an important part of the learning process.