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Topic: What factors in a child's family and environment do you think increase his or her risk for substance addiction?

Topic Posted by: Close To Home
Date Posted: Wed Mar 18 15:22:22 1998

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Posted by:Cliff Schaffer (schaffer@smartlink.net )
Organization:Drug Reform Coordination Network
Date posted: Sun Apr 5 14:52:58 1998
Subject: The Single Biggest Cause of Youth Drug Epidemics
Message:
History proves conclusively that the single biggest cause 
of youth drug epidemics is -- anti-drug campaigns.

For proof of this, look first to alcohol Prohibition. Prior 
to Prohibition, children did not commonly use alcohol, and 
even Prohibition supporters stated that their children 
found it difficult to get. After Prohibition went into 
effect, they had to close schools because so many kids were 
coming to school drunk, and they couldn't hold school 
dances because all the boys would show up with a hip flask 
full of whiskey.  Children even became couriers for 
bootleggers.  For references, see Historical References 
under http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer

The glue-sniffing epidemic started on August 2, 1959, again 
as the result of an anti-drug campaign. LSD and speed were 
also popularized by anti-drug campaigns.  See "How to 
Launch a Nationwide Drug Menace", "How LSD Was 
Popularized", and "How Speed Was Popularized" - all from 
the Consumers Union Report on Licit and Illicit Drugs at 
http://druglibrary.org/schaffer/library/studies/studies.htm

Marijuana was also made a permanent part of American 
culture by the campaigns against it.  See, for example, 
"Operation Intercept", the story of Nixon's plan to shut 
off the flow of drugs at the border, under 
http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer - Historical References.

We can best help our children by ending the insane Drug War.
As the Consumers Union Report stated, "the warning (against 
drugs) functions as a lure (for children)"


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