Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who should be more accurately known as the War on Drugs Czar, is firmly stuck in the 80’s. His approval of the old, outdated, and ineffective DARE program proves that he’s out of touch with current realities.
Sessions has embarrassed himself when it comes to drugs; especially cannabis since becoming the Attorney General of the United States. He’s such an embarrassment, that some even suggest he smoke some marijuana and relax a little. But the longer he’s in office, the more humiliating it is to watch him flop around like goldfish in the sand.
He’s now gone out of his way to praise the old DARE program from the 80’s. Some might remember it, DARE: Drug Abuse Resistance Education. It was a government-funded program enacted in 75% of American schools to try to keep kids off drugs, but based on the opioid epidemic we are facing, it has epically failed.
That hasn’t stopped Sessions from declaring his undying love for the failed program. Speaking at a DARE conference, Sessions said, “DARE is, I think, the best remembered anti-drug program today. In recent years, people have not paid much attention to that message, but they are ready to hear it again. …We know it worked before, and we can make it work again.” However, the statistics aren’t exactly in Sessions’ favor.
Students who went through DARE weren’t any less likely to do drugs than the students who didn’t. In fact, there’s some well-regarded research that some groups of students were actually more likely to do drugs if they went through DARE. Scientists knew DARE was ineffective relatively early on, but the program grew anyways. The program’s eventual reform was the result of a long and hard battle between evidence-based research, and popular opinion. –SOURCE
The DARE program cost taxpayers millions of dollars, and it’s “cool” 80’s trendy mascot “Daren the Lion” has all but been forgotten. But Sessions just can’t give up on DARE and it’s failures. Just like he can’t give up on his fight to ensure marijuana remains illegal.
Sessions’ inability to focus on the problem of government interference in the “war on drugs” has been a disaster. He doesn’t seem to really be interested in the facts or the causes of drug use, nor is he willing to listen to possible solutions outside of government punishments. A 2000 study by the American Psychological Association and a report to Congress from the National Criminal Justice Reference Service in 1998 both came to the same conclusion: kids who went through the DARE program were just as likely to use drugs as those who did not.
Many have claimed that the problem wasn’t the education of the effects of drug use, but the fact that police were teaching these classes, not doctors or nurses. It undermined the effectiveness of the program even though some assumed that the police would have more “authority” when it comes to “criminal behavior” than a doctor.
Dr. Ruth Rich was tasked with selecting the first curriculum for the DARE program. Research on drug prevention education was already underway at USC, under the title “SMART.” But there was a catch, DARE’s founder desired the program be taught by police officers themselves, not doctors or teachers. Rich agreed with him, on the grounds that cops are more familiar with the “criminal culture.” As she told the LA Times, “There’s a gap between the street and the classroom. Police officers are believable on this subject. When it comes to drugs, they’re more credible than a teacher.”
The idea of police officers in the classroom turned off some of SMART’s original authors, including the head of the research team, Andy Johnson. Reason Magazine reported, “Though sympathetic to Rich’s dilemma, Johnson had serious objections to handing an experimental educational program over to the local police.”
Government punishments for drug use haven’t worked, and neither has handing over the task of education on drugs to the police. Major changes in how the government handles drug use and freeing up the industry which treats addiction is what would work the best, but is also the one thing the government refuses to try – because we can’t’ have freedom. It’s just way too scary.
#1: misterwhite To: Deckard (#0)
But legalizing all drugs would? Drug use would go down if drugs were cheap and readily available? Drug use would go down if society gave a green light to their use?
Drug use hasn't gone away, but neither have other crimes that we have laws against. Given the current drug laws, drug use is about as low as it's going to go. You want it lower, we'll have to write stricter laws. But we know you don't want that.
misterwhite posted on 2017-07-14 09:47:04 Reply Private Reply
#2: VxH To: misterwhite (#1)
Nah. Lots of Darwin Awards still waiting to be handed out.
I'm with Wm F Buckley - legalize all of it, with a death penalty for anyone who sells to minors.
VxH posted on 2017-07-14 10:07:29 Reply Private Reply
#3: Deckard To: misterwhite (#1)
Yeah - we are all aware of your admiration for Rodrigo Duterte and your support for his draconian death squads.
Deckard posted on 2017-07-14 10:09:36 Reply Private Reply
#4: misterwhite To: VxH (#2)
Let's ease into it. Keep drugs illegal and pass a law that gives the death penalty for anyone who sells to minors. Then we'll see how that works.
(That's my way of saying that we'll never give the death penalty to anyone who sells drugs to minors.)
misterwhite posted on 2017-07-14 10:18:12 Reply Private Reply
#5: misterwhite To: Deckard (#3)
His motto: "Controlling drug use for the cost of a bullet". Nothing says "I'm serious" more than a slug from a .45.
misterwhite posted on 2017-07-14 10:21:34 Reply Private Reply
#6: Stoner To: Deckard (#0)
Stoner posted on 2017-07-14 10:27:27 Reply Private Reply
#7: Stoner To: misterwhite (#5)
Yes sir, that is definitely pretty damn serious !
Stoner posted on 2017-07-14 10:30:33 Reply Private Reply
#8: A K A Stone To: misterwhite (#5)
A K A Stone posted on 2017-07-14 10:31:15 Reply Private Reply
#9: Deckard To: misterwhite (#5)
Nothing says "tyrannical police state" quite like the arbitrary killing of anyone who may or may not be a drug dealer or user, without any evidence or due process.
And you want to see that here.
Deckard posted on 2017-07-14 10:39:26 Reply Private Reply
#10: Deckard To: Stoner (#6)
When is Trump going to jail her like he promised?
Deckard posted on 2017-07-14 10:40:12 Reply Private Reply
#11: misterwhite To: A K A Stone (#8)
Publicly. If we're serious about ending drug use. But we're not.
misterwhite posted on 2017-07-14 10:50:49 Reply Private Reply
#12: misterwhite To: Deckard (#9)
Well, I'm not saying we wouldn't get our hair mussed. But I do say no more than ten to twenty million killed, tops. Uh, depending on the breaks.
misterwhite posted on 2017-07-14 10:53:32 Reply Private Reply
#13: Stoner To: Deckard (#10)
When Hell freezes over. Remember " She & Bill are good people, they have suffered enough."
Besides, can't divert attention from " Tweeting ". Priorities man, priorities.
Stoner posted on 2017-07-14 10:53:36 Reply Private Reply
#14: misterwhite To: Deckard (#10)
I'd like to see Trump give the following speech after the Russia investigation is over with nothing to show for it:
"When I took office, I was willing to start fresh and put all the controversy from the previous administration behind me. But I see now that would be wrong."
"It appears as though the MSM, the Democrats and numerous congressional committees have set new standards for misconduct to which I, my family, my cabinet, and my friends have been subjected over the past year."
"So I am directing my Attorney General to open or re-open investigations with the intent of seeking indictments for the following people:"
Hillary Clinton
Bill Clinton
The Clinton Foundation
Huma Abedein
Loretta Lynch
James Comey
Lois Lerner
misterwhite posted on 2017-07-14 11:19:53 Reply Private Reply
#15: Deckard To: misterwhite (#14)
Never gonna happen.
Deckard posted on 2017-07-14 11:32:23 Reply Private Reply
#16: Stoner To: misterwhite (#14)
Never going to happen, but if it did, I would dance with joy!
BTW, you forgot to put obutthole on your list.
Stoner posted on 2017-07-14 12:05:53 Reply Private Reply
#17: BorisY To: VxH (#2)
The posTer boy on criminalizaTion
saw him on his Tv show
all The bells were wringing
his lighTs were flashing *
holding a cuT cord Too
love
boris
* The deer in The headlighT look
ps
mighT be a good Thing
on elecTion day
none of These crazies would show up
BorisY posted on 2017-07-14 13:31:36 Reply Private Reply
#18: VxH To: misterwhite (#4)
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Shortly before each plane lands in Kuala Lumpur, as the cabin crew politely ask passengers to put their seats upright and turn off all electronic devices, those on board also receive a chilling warning about "severe" penalties awaiting those found guilty of dealing drugs.
Malaysia is one of only 13 countries in the world that imposes a mandatory death sentence for drug trafficking -
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2015/06/exec uting-drug-dealers-southeast-asia-150622060018374.html
YMMV!
VxH posted on 2017-07-15 11:15:02 Reply Private Reply
#19: VxH To: BorisY (#17)
Jealous?
VxH posted on 2017-07-15 11:15:37 Reply Private Reply
#20: misterwhite To: VxH (#18)
And right after that announcement, around a dozen passengers line up to use the bathroom.
misterwhite posted on 2017-07-15 13:17:36 Reply Private Reply
#21: VxH To: misterwhite (#20)
"Indonesian President orders officers to shoot drug traffickers"
http://www.asiaone.com/asia/indonesian- president-orders-officers-shoot-drug-traffickers?amp
VxH posted on 2017-07-22 11:57:10 Reply Private Reply
#22: misterwhite To: VxH (#21)
My kind of guy.
misterwhite posted on 2017-07-22 12:36:27 Reply Private Reply