Pharming Parties

Time on-line edition did a story about "Pharming Parties". Here is a link to the article:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1086173,00.html


Here is one part that stood out to me:

"according to a report issued three weeks ago by Columbia University's National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA), abuse of prescription drugs has increased sharply. CASA says about 2.3 million kids ages 12 to 17 took legal medications illegally in 2003, the latest year for which figures are available. That's three times the number in 1992, or about 1 out of every 10 teens. "It's a hidden epidemic," says Dr. Nicholas Pace, an internist at New York University Medical Center. "Parents don't want to admit there's a problem out there."

You'll notice that they are estimating 1 out of 10 teens are using legal medications illegally. This doent even count the number of kids using illegal drugs. Drug users discover early on that a source of drugs is the medicine chest , and make raids on them. Not only in their own homes, but any homes they visit. When I was a teenager one of my favorite things was to go into my moms dexedring pills and open them up and take about 1/4 of each capsule. I dont think she ever noticed. I would even take the prescription down to the pharmacy and have it refilled without her knowledge and pick up the re-fill. Hopefully, the pharmacies have tightened up on this sort of thing in the last 35 years but who knows.

All of this brings me to my point. For the last 25 years education has been touted as the solution to the drug problem. All of these kids mentioned above went through drug education in school. The result? Its not working is it?

What you are seeing here is the future. Most of this drug use goes beyond experimentation. To steal drugs and trade them at parties is indicative of a real problem. The abuse and addiction already formed will go on for years for most of them.

Americas drug problem is NOT going away through substance abuse education in the schools.

Years ago while doing a talk show on the drug problem with a drug treatment professional, I mentioned that education wasnt the answer to the problem.

His answer: "Well, if education isnt the answer, then I dont know what is"

And thats true, they dont know what the anwer is.