Drug Policy Forum of Texas
Google    
   Search WWW          Search www.dpft.org

Race

Children

Figures for

Texas News

 

CHILDREN

 Victims of the Drug War 

"It's all about the children" is one of the most cynical "messages" of the drug war. 

The structure of the drug war repeatedly acts against the interests of children. 

* Look at the results: 

* High experimentation [See: 62% Use Illegal Drugs]

* High availability [1] 

* Already dangerous drugs made more dangerous [2] 

* Contempt for the law and authority [3] 

* Teens tempted and drawn into sales [4a] and gangs [4b] 

* Drug education discredited and undermined [5] 

* Prevention programs short changed [6] 

* Emphasis on politically driven programs that don't work [7] 

* Misleading parents about marijuana and the 'gateway ' [8] 

* Punishments that do more harm than the drugs themselves [9]

In fact, the drug war sends a message about our lack of confidence in our young to make responsible choices. 

See: http://www.dpft.org/factorsnotes.htm#note1

It's inherently disrespectful goals are to protect them from temptation and frighten them into desired behavior. 

The drug war budget allots most of the money for those purposes at the expense of adequate counseling and educational and employment opportunities that could actually help. 

See: www.csdp.org/news/news/8steps.htm

Prohibition and Children 

Prohibition surrenders control of the drug supply to the drug lords and drug dealers. It also gives them the money to place a network of dealers in or around almost every school in America. It is the key to our chidren's easy access to drugs and to a string of related damage. It's instructive that this was a key factor in the womens' movement to overthrow alcohol Prohibition. [10]  

Stamp out prohibition car

People may disagree about whether their money is better spent on education and prevention programs for their children or on efforts to stop supply and on prisons.  

They may disagree about whether a world without drug lords and drug dealers is worth the decision to allow regulated supply to adults, but they should not reach any conclusion without vigorous public debate and access to accurate information. 


Also see: "American Women and the Repeal of Prohibition" by Kenneth D. Rose, (1997)  

"Dirty: A Search for Answers Inside America's Teenage Drug Epidemic" by Meredith Maran (2003) 

www.prisonerswithchildren.org