Theres no magic bullet for the drugs question. But we can at least educate our kids about them and their effects better than we do. But Im a fine one to talk as Ive abused drugs in my yoof, took too many at once and had a rough 48hrs. (5 microdots once and that changed my life a bit) Ive caned speed, E, Booze...because when youre a yoof you are invincible combined with stupid. Now Im not invincible, only stupid remains.
In the UK we seem to want to binge everything. Drugs, booze, wine, tory governments.
Expelling doesnt work either, you just move the issue from one school to another. Again, Ive been expelled. From a really posh public school the council sent me to instead of DC. Shoulda sent me straight to DC. Imagine sending a poor kid from a council estate to a school full of posh kids ffs. I still had my scots accent then too. I spent 3 yrs fighting my corner there before they dumped me.
Anyone from here go to Abbotsholme nr Rocester in 70's? If so Im very sorry.
You are right about UK culture and wanting to binge. It seems deep in the psyche. And the rates of drug use in the UK compared to just about everywhere else in Europe, and even the US, go to prove it.
Problem is, education is also hampered by criminalisation.
It is hard for schools to sit people down for a proper discussion on the various dangers of drugs when they are illegal.
First their illegality already makes them a taboo subject in and of itself. A taboo that clearly doesn´t stop people taking them, but could still get a teacher or school into troubles ("Why are you sitting down and teaching my kids about cocaine?!! Don´t you know that shits illegal?!!").
Second the inevitable questions start cropping up ("Hang on sir, so heroin is potentially deadly and can destroy your body and turn you into a zombie, I´ve seen the smackheads down my street. But alcohol can be just as damaging. So how come my Dad goes the pub? And why is cannabis illegal if alcohol is so much worse?? I´ve seen my Mum toke the occassional joint when she thinks I can´t smell it - does that make my Mum a criminal?!") etc etc. And for those very unfortunate kids whose parents do have real substance issues, be they smackheads or whatever, what better way to make an already marginalised kid feel even more out in the cold then knowing that not only do they have smackheads for parents, but those parents are fully living outside the social confines of legality. You can´t sit down and have an honest conversation about the dangers of drugs when they are already operating on a two tier system of legality and illegality, which often doesn´t actually reflect the harm they cause as substances
On that same note, you sit kids down and tell them drugs are illegal because they´re bad. You are taught all these horror stories about smoking weed or whatever else. Then a kid at some point tries a spliff. "Hang on this isn´t all that bad, certainly not like they made it out to be. So I guess if they exaggerating the effects of this, maybe gary´s aren´t that bad either??").
By the way I am not saying cannabis isn´t damaging. I smoked a lot of it from young age. Don´t touch it anymore, and wish I hadn´t touched it then either. I´ve seen some mates smoke their lives away in a haze. Most others came to the same realisation I did - that it wasn´t doing them much good, makes them socially anxious etc. Generally the ones who smoke and still enjoy it now started later with fully developed brains. Which brings me onto another point. Illegality meant that, ironically, as a young teenager, drugs were often easier to get a hold of then alcohol. My dealers didn´t ask for ID. It was as simple as phoning someone and they´d come and drop it off on your road, or even your front door. Alcohol you´d have to go to the supermarket or offy and stand around until you could find a way to get served. And if you ever did want to ask a teacher or some other responsbile adult a serious question about weed, you wouldn´t dare because, you know, its illegal.
