Reforming

 Alcohol  &  Drug  Educa5on

in  American  Life
R  A  D  E  I  A  L

By  Thomas  Paine
NotCIA.com
ThomasPaine@NotCIA.com

1
You  don’t  have  to  be  part  of  the  crowd.  
Be  who  you  are,  and  stand  up  proud.
Say  no.  Just  say  no.        

1983  An5-­‐Drug  Slogan

2
 DARE  to  Admit…
• Nancy  Reagan's  “Just  Say  No!”  policy  is  a  failure
– Started  by  Neo-­‐Conserva5ve  Organiza5ons
• Straight,  Inc.  -­‐-­‐>  Drug  Free  America  Founda5on  Inc.
– Unproduc5ve,  hypocri5cal,  and  divisive
• The  current  programs  are  fundamentally  the  same
– Use  of  substances  have  remained  very  similar
• We  should  be  educating,  not  propagandizing

3
 !"#!$%&'()"!()*+,)-)+./))
(!"!#$
0%!$)12)3%4!)
'%"!#$

'!"!#$

&%"!#$

&!"!#$

%"!#$

!"!#$
&))&$ &))*$ '!!+$

,-./0/-$ 123456272$ 84923:;:<$

4
 Abuse,  Not  Use,  a  Problem
• American  Psychology  Study  [Abstract  included  on  last  slide,  slide  12]
– Abuse  can  be  stopped  before  use  ever  occurs
– “personal  and  social  maladjustment”  of  kids
– NIDA  agreed,  but  downplayed  studies  importance
• User’s  Success  Seen  Throughout  Society
• Barack  Obama,  George  W.  Bush,  Bill  Clinton
• Richard  Branson  (Virgin),  Peter  B.  Lewis  (Progressive)
• Many  Musicians  and  Ar5sts,  Athletes,  etc...

5
 Responsibility
• Binge  Drinking  is  Dangerous
– Encouraged  by  Music,  Television,  &  Hollywood
• Driving  While  Intoxicated
– Most  Vital  Issue  for  Youth’s  Drinking
– Unintended  Consequence  of  “Social  Host  Law”
• Parent’s  should  provide  a  Safe  Environment
– Alcohol  will  always  be  easy  to  acquire  for  Teens

6
 Alcohol
• “Forbidden-­‐Fruit  Complex”
• Learning  Responsible  Drinking
– Before  College,  even  before  learning  to  Drive
• Parents  drink,  teens  drink
– In  foreign  countries,  the  drinking  age  is  much  
lower,  and  kids  turn  out  fine
• UK:  It  is  only  illegal  for  those  aged  5-­‐17  to  drink  in  
public;  they  may  legally  drink  alcohol  in  private
– Young,  Responsible  drinking  is  not  a  Health  Issue

7
 Marijuana
• The  “demonized  drug”

• Who  pushes  and  funds  for  an5-­‐Marijuana  

campaigns?
– Drug  Companies,  Beer  Companies,  and  Big  Oil
– Neo-­‐Conserva5ves,  Certain  Religious  Groups

• Minimal  Health  Effects

8
 Rx  Drugs
• Demonizing  Marijuana  pushes  Rx  Abuse
•  Teens  turn  to  socially  accepted  drugs
– Xanex,  Valium,  OxyCo5n
– Much  more  harmful  
– Much  more  addic5ng

9
 Wai5ng  for  Change…
• In  a  few  short  years,  a  new  Genera5on  will  be  
in  your  shoes.
• We  will  work  towards  a  responsible  approach
• Change  now,  or  delay  change,  the  choice  is  
yours.

10
You  don’t  have  to  be  part  of  the  crowd.  
Be  who  you  are,  and  stand  up  proud.
Say  no....
Just  say  no  to  a  failed  policy  and  work  
towards  the  change  we  need.

Ques9ons?
11
 Adolescent  Drug  Use  and  Psychological  Health
May  1990  *  American  Psychologist  *  612
Jonathan  Shedler  and  Jack  Block
University  of  California  Berkeley

ABSTRACT:  The  relation  between  psychological  characteristics  and  drug  use  was  investigated  in  subjects  
studied   longitudinally,   from   preschool   through   age   18.   Adolescents   who   had   engaged   in   some   drug  
experimentation   (primarily   with   marijuana)   were   the   best-­‐adjusted   in   the   sample.   Adolescents   who  
used   drugs   frequently   were   maladjusted,   showing   a   distinct   personality   syndrome   marked   by  
interpersonal   alienation,   poor   impulse   control,   and   manifest   emotional   distress.   Adolescents   who,   by  
age   18,   had   never   experimented  with   any   drug   were   relatively   anxious,   emotionally   constricted,   and  
lacking  in  social  skills.

Psychological  differences   between  frequent  drug  users,  experimenters,  and  abstainers  could  be  traced  to  
the  earliest  years  of  childhood  and  related  to  the  quality  of  parenting  received.   The  Tindings  indicate  that  
(a)   problem   drug   use   is   a   symptom,   not   a   cause,   of   personal   and   social   maladjustment,   and   (b)   the  
meaning  of  drug  use  can   be  understood  only  in  the  context   of  an  individual's  personality   structure  and  
developmental  history.  It   is  suggested  that  current  efforts  at  drug  prevention  are  misguided  to  the  extent  
that  they  focus  on  symptoms,  rather  than  on  the  psychological  syndrome  underlying  drug  abuse.
[http://www.druglibrary.org/Schaffer/kids/Adolescent_Drug_Use_ALL.htm]

12

12