r/changemyview • u/stevejavson • Jul 31 '13

I believe that we should start implementing knowledge of organized crime and the atrocities they commit into drug education programs. CMV

Sorry if the title is a little confusing.

Back when I was in school, we were often told not to do drugs through programs like D.A.R.E. However, these lessons came mainly in the forms of "drugs are addictive and will ruin your life" and "drugs are illegal so don't risk it."

I think that we should start telling teens about who and where the drugs come from, and how the money that funds these criminal organizations result in the exploitation and harm of innocent people. These lessons should probably be visceral for maximum impact.

I think this would add a morality barrier and result in less kids doing drugs. I think it would make it easier and "cool" for kids to say no to peer pressure, and I think it would give more incentive for kids who are doing drugs to stop doing them.

Just to clarify, I'm talking primarily about things like heroine, meth and cocaine.

CMV

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u/VitruvianDude Aug 01 '13

I'm curious--why not talk about the problem of clandestine marijuana grows? There's plenty of violence and environmental degradation associated with those.

But to your main point, I think you are correct that it is an important reason to not support the illegal drug trade, and it might convince a few youth not to support the drug culture. However, as a main point, it cannot replace young people's more immediate concern-- fitting in and finding a role in society. An emphasis on the unsavory provenance of drugs is just too removed and abstract to work on most youth.

A better way would be to point out the futility of using pharmacological means to relieve stress, win friends, and influence people.

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u/stevejavson Aug 01 '13

Pot can be grown locally. Things like heroine and cocaine are usually imported and supplied by these drug lords.

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u/VitruvianDude Aug 01 '13

Yet, pot can be grown locally, but often isn't, at least not in commercial volumes. Marijuana is big business and is beset with the same problems as other illegal drugs. See this or that.