Just Say 'No' to Drugs
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The Just Say 'No' to Drugs campaign that was heralded
in when Ronald Regan was president, may have been a good start
in bringing national awareness to the drug problem in the
U. S. Critics, then and now say that this campaign does not
go far enough. Other critics say that this campaign has had
the "forbidden fruit" effect of making drugs more
enticing.
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Whatever your belief, the Just Say 'No' to Drugs campaign offers but
a simple solution to a complex problem. Over the years, the political
propagandists behind the Just Say 'No' to Drugs campaign have tried
to make it 'cool' to say 'no'. This has worked to some degree, but
has fallen way short of what has been needed. Bringing about public
awareness without public solutions are most often doomed to fail.
According to a report by the U.S. Center on Substance Abuse Prevention,
"alternatives programming appears to be most effective among
those youth at greatest risk for substance abuse and related problems."
These alternatives are stated as activities free of alcohol, tobacco
or illicit drug use. These alternative activities are also helpful
for adults who want to say 'No' to drugs as well.
Many of those with addiction problems will at some point have to
struggle with lifestyle and relationship changes that will need
to occur in order for sobriety to take hold. For instance, the person
suffering from an addiction, will at some point, need to think about
both the activities and relationships to hold on to, put at a distance
or let go of in order to make their sobriety work. Many addicts
have started using again because the thought of giving up a friend
or loved one, brought up too much fear and grief for them to handle
at that point.
Having alternative activities in place while the addict is
deciding which relationships to keep, distance from or abandon
is generally a good idea. Just saying 'No' is not a simple
as the campaign would have you believe.
Support groups of family, friends and others will need to
be either formed or strengthened for the task. Decisions on
what activities and friends to keep or not will have to be
made. A job environment of a move to a new location may also
be in order.
Some will acknowledge that the Just Say 'No' to Drugs campaign
is not for the current addict but as means of prevention for the
younger generations. This has had limited success though with teenagers
who prefer being talked to rather that "talked at". But,
those still on the Just Say 'No' to Drugs campaign trail say that
this program is better than no program at all. In fact, this program
of promoting slogans against
drugs has expanded and with the variety of drug free slogans
that have invaded the cultural consciousness, some positive impact
is inevitable.
For lack of a better anti-drug campaign this may be true.
It is interesting the note that even the U.
S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has gotten into the
Just Say 'No' to Drugs act. They are promoting that just saying
'No' is cool and to get high on intelligence and if you ever
want to play "I Spy" with foreign nations under
their watch, you may not do so if you've done drugs in the
past or will do drugs in the future.
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