DARE: The Anti-Drug Program That Never Actually Worked • Hacker News Board

Re: DARE: The Anti-Drug Program That Never Actually Worked

#21

Post by themodelplumber » Sat, Oct 03, 2015, 3:53 AM UTC

stephengillie wrote: post #19

themodelplumber wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was a teenage DARE ambassador, taught younger kids how uncool drugs were. But that wasn't nearly as effective as the time I drew a caricature of the class's newest drug user and a friend made 50 copies of it. Major fireworks, major drama, and all adults who wanted to know were now in the know. I may have almost destroyed that poor thing's life, but in doing so I believe I found a faster-acting solution than DARE, a…

As a kid, hearing that kids were taking drugs, I always wondered what I was missing out on. The one thing that didn't make me want to take drugs were the ads saying "most kids don't smoke or do drugs". But then everything changed when I went to college in my mid-20s and developed a strong cannabis habit. It gave purpose to my life. I'm still a daily smoker, years later, with a fulfilling job and good friends.

I live and work in the emerald triangle now. There are so many stories like yours that it's more of a nuanced discussion: For whom, and at what age, is how much of which variant too much? :P

Re: DARE: The Anti-Drug Program That Never Actually Worked

#22

Post by notgood » Sat, Oct 03, 2015, 3:53 AM UTC

boot13 wrote: post #12

As opposed to all the ones that worked?

A trillion dollars wasted but let's keep at it! I'm sure its gonna work out with just one trillion more. Besides, think of the consequences of suddenly stopping! Private jails would go bankrupt and that would be anti-capitalism and therefore anti-american.

Re: DARE: The Anti-Drug Program That Never Actually Worked

#23

Post by Vexs » Sat, Oct 03, 2015, 3:57 AM UTC

mratzloff wrote: post #6

I think Randy Marsh from "South Park" had the most effective anti-marijuana speech I've ever heard: Stan: I've been told a lot of things about pot, but I've come to find out a lot of those things aren't true! So I don't know what to believe! Randy: Well, Stan, the truth is marijuana probably isn't gonna make you kill people, and it most likely isn't gonna fund terrorism, but… well, son, pot makes you feel fine with b…

Seriously, the only things that have ever made me think a second time about drugs are the honest descriptions of it, not the "I did drugs and now I have no teeth" kinda descriptions, but the ones that go, "When you're on meth, meth feels great! Everything is amazing, you feel like you can do so much, but when you're off it everything seems boring! So you go back for more, and eventually you're addicted." kinda descriptions.

If you talk about LSD, and say, "I've had some amazing times on it, and other times I've had spiders in my eyes", I think most people would be less likely to try it. Sure, not everyone, but still more than people saying just spiders in your eyes.

I mean, it's a classical argument tactic, give something up to make your point more valid. But damned if it doesn't work.

Re: DARE: The Anti-Drug Program That Never Actually Worked

#24

Post by ossreality » Sat, Oct 03, 2015, 3:58 AM UTC

mratzloff wrote: post #6

I think Randy Marsh from "South Park" had the most effective anti-marijuana speech I've ever heard: Stan: I've been told a lot of things about pot, but I've come to find out a lot of those things aren't true! So I don't know what to believe! Randy: Well, Stan, the truth is marijuana probably isn't gonna make you kill people, and it most likely isn't gonna fund terrorism, but… well, son, pot makes you feel fine with b…

I almost want to login to my non-throwaway/hellbanned account just to laugh at this notion.

The times I've been most curious. Most engrossed in a piece of new tech has been when I'm high. Some night, I will go home from a 9-10 hour work day and get high to relax and make dinner and then go to bed... but will wind up reading about the latest and greatest in container tech, or whatever.

The notion that pot makes you distinctly less interested is just laughable in my opinion.

Re: DARE: The Anti-Drug Program That Never Actually Worked

#25

Post by afarrell » Sat, Oct 03, 2015, 3:59 AM UTC

mratzloff wrote: post #6

I think Randy Marsh from "South Park" had the most effective anti-marijuana speech I've ever heard: Stan: I've been told a lot of things about pot, but I've come to find out a lot of those things aren't true! So I don't know what to believe! Randy: Well, Stan, the truth is marijuana probably isn't gonna make you kill people, and it most likely isn't gonna fund terrorism, but… well, son, pot makes you feel fine with b…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_tx_fTjhBI Basically takes that same tack.

Re: DARE: The Anti-Drug Program That Never Actually Worked

#26

Post by heimatau » Sat, Oct 03, 2015, 4:01 AM UTC

oxide wrote: post #9

themodelplumber wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was a teenage DARE ambassador, taught younger kids how uncool drugs were. But that wasn't nearly as effective as the time I drew a caricature of the class's newest drug user and a friend made 50 copies of it. Major fireworks, major drama, and all adults who wanted to know were now in the know. I may have almost destroyed that poor thing's life, but in doing so I believe I found a faster-acting solution than DARE, a…

that's...uncool. most people grow out of drug experimentation naturally and never look back. you might have actually fucked that person's life up, compared to if you had done nothing. that's no solution, that's just plain mean.

Not as uncool as smoking green, according to DARE. :P

Re: DARE: The Anti-Drug Program That Never Actually Worked

#27

Post by c3534l » Sat, Oct 03, 2015, 4:02 AM UTC

hugh4 wrote: post #7

te_platt wrote: post #3

Proud father comment here. Last year my son's school had a DARE essay writing contest. Knowing that I favor legalizing drugs he showed me his submission before turning it in. I should note we had a good conversation about why I think drug use is a very bad idea and the reasons why. His English teacher (8th grade) gave him 100 out of 100. The following is his submission: D.A.R.E. is a program designed to keep kids fro…

>In 1989-1996 studies done showed that kids involved in the D.A.R.E. program take 3-5% more drugs than kids not in the D.A.R.E. program. Are DARE programs more likely to be targeted at kids in higher-risk groups?

They take that into account and have even done randomized trials. DARE unequivocally increases drug use. The primary reason (although there are many) is thought to be that because the information is unreliable and sensationalized, kids learn that anti-drug information is wrong and therefore see little danger with using drugs and may even misunderstand key drug concepts like addiction. This is true with a lot of the commercials, too. But those often aren't really funded with any real intention of affecting drug use, it just makes politicians look like they're doing something constructive.

Re: DARE: The Anti-Drug Program That Never Actually Worked

#28

Post by ParanoidAct » Sat, Oct 03, 2015, 4:02 AM UTC

I never understood the purpose of programs like this as a child. All that effort, money, time, etc. pumped into it and somehow the only ones that ever seemed to have any effect at all were like this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtLHKtNOcS8 that is essentially a very good advert for meth.

Re: DARE: The Anti-Drug Program That Never Actually Worked

#29

Post by heimatau » Sat, Oct 03, 2015, 4:02 AM UTC

themodelplumber wrote: post #17

oxide wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

that's...uncool. most people grow out of drug experimentation naturally and never look back. you might have actually fucked that person's life up, compared to if you had done nothing. that's no solution, that's just plain mean.

Tongue in cheek solution. No one should do this. The fireworks enveloped us all.

Your example made me smile. Unmoderated peer pressure is more effective than DARE. Should you be getting all that grant money? We can only dream.

Re: DARE: The Anti-Drug Program That Never Actually Worked

#30

Post by mistercow » Sat, Oct 03, 2015, 4:02 AM UTC

mratzloff wrote: post #6

I think Randy Marsh from "South Park" had the most effective anti-marijuana speech I've ever heard: Stan: I've been told a lot of things about pot, but I've come to find out a lot of those things aren't true! So I don't know what to believe! Randy: Well, Stan, the truth is marijuana probably isn't gonna make you kill people, and it most likely isn't gonna fund terrorism, but… well, son, pot makes you feel fine with b…

> pot makes you feel fine with being bored

The problem with that is that it's also super not backed up by data.