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Drug use is a reality in our country's schools. At least half of our country's students have tried a substance that is illicit before they graduate from post-secondary school. A school free of drugs does not exist in America. Our organization neither condones nor condemns drug use. Yet, rather than think that we can eliminate drinking and drug use, we work with students to protect their safety and reduce the harms associated with drinking and drug use. Rather than have punitive policies that punish students, schools should work with students as well as parents to protect students' safety.

Our organization represents the young men and women who went through drug education and counseling programs that asked abstinence of students. D.A.R.E. is perhaps the most prevalent program. D.A.R.E. targets those students aged ten to thirteen, and police act as the teachers in the program. D.A.R.E. attempts to teach the consequences of drug use, with a heavy emphasis on substances such as marijuana, ecstasy, cocaine, and heroin. One of the disappointments of D.A.R.E. is its participants do not learn the skills and tools essential to making mature, responsible decisions. Rather, through erroneous, extreme examples of drug use and drug users, as well as a stress on the criminal consequences of drug use, police simply attempt to scare students into abstinence.

Drug education and counseling programs are necessary in our country's schools. Schools should take drug use, abuse, and addiction seriously, but be sensible and compassionate in approach. Unfortunately, perhaps the most prevalent drug education and counseling program, D.A.R.E., is ineffective and unethical for an array of reasons. First and foremost, D.A.R.E. does not achieve its aims of reducing drug abuse and addiction among youth. A federally funded study found that those who are D.A.R.E. graduates are no less likely to use drugs than those who were not a part of the program. Moreover, studies show that D.A.R.E. has a boomerang effect, that some students become interested in drugs due to the D.A.R.E. program. Additionally, D.A.R.E. does nothing for those who do decide to try drugs. Indeed, since D.A.R.E. stresses that all drug use is equally risky and dangerous, some students who use marijuana may think the drug is no more risky or dangerous than cocaine or heroin. Lastly, D.A.R.E. as a program is costly, both in human and monetary resources.

We support drug education and counseling programs that are founded on scientific and factual information. Students should be taught the difference between drug use, abuse, and addiction. Students should learn how to lessen the harms associated with drinking and drug use, as well as learn how to avoid an unhealthy, harmful relationship with such substances. Students should feel that all questions are appropriate, and that their answers are accurate. Students should leave a program thinking they truly can resist pressure from peers and outside forces, that they are able to make a mature, responsible decision regarding drinking and drug use. Students should feel that their teachers have treated them with respect. Programs ought to value open and honest education, discussion, and counseling.

Even with the best drug education and counseling program, some students will still use, abuse, or become addicted to drugs. Our country's current approach to drug use, abuse, and addiction stems from a mentality that there is no second chance when it comes to drinking and drug use. Yet, our organization believes that students who use, abuse or are addicted deserve a second chance. Indeed, studies show that the opportunity for drug users to openly and honestly discuss drug-related information effectively reduces drug use. Moreover, when we encourage students who use drugs to reduce rather than restrict use, drug use declines.

Our organization sees prohibition as an attack on scientific, factual, useful drug education and counseling, as an attack on youth. Yet, we will continue to speak truth to the harms of prohibition. Drug education and counseling programs are meant to protect us, and we will educate our peers, parents, teachers, and legislators until our country adopts sensible, compassionate programs.