New survey just out - The War on Drugs has failed.

The number of high schoolers saying drugs are at their schools rose 41 percent in the last three years, to 62 percent, the survey said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/18/AR200508...

What every newspaper has determined from this is that two things are to blame: #1 Parents and #2 R-Rated Movies.

Meanwhile, the survey found teens who viewed drugs as morally wrong were significantly less likely to try them, as were those who felt their parents would be "extremely upset" to discover drug use.

The report found that teens who confided in their parents were at much lower risk of drug abuse than teens who turn first to another adult.

"If this survey does anything, it really shouts to parents: You cannot outsource your responsibility to law enforcement or the schools," Califano said. "I think when parents feel as strongly about drugs in the schools as they do about asbestos in the schools, we'll start getting the drugs out of the schools."

The survey also found that teens who say they watch three or more R-rated movies in a typical month _ about 43 percent _ are seven times likelier to smoke cigarettes and six times likelier to try alcohol than teens who do not watch R-rated movies.

The correlation between R-rated movie watching and the risk of substance-abuse remains even after controlling for age, the report said. This was the first time the annual survey asked about R-rated movies.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/18/AR200508...

They’re right about #1, parents play the most significant role in everyone's childhood, however the R-Rated movie item seems like a scapegoat. If anything the claim, regardless of the statistics taken from the survey, is taking blame away from parents and away from the government.

Why can't the government's declared war against drugs be an effective influence on youth?

The answer is simple: regardless of age the majority of Americans can't take the War on Drugs seriously. The federal government has dealt with the War on Drugs entirely wrong. Making headlines only when busting people who use medical marijuana to help ease extreme forms of pain and disease or when surveys come out that report their lack of success just doesn't help. In fact these headlines are the only news we hear about this war anymore because the Federal government spends the majority of the war funds on fighting a losing battle against marijuana and medical marijuana while major drugs that actually cause drastic problems not only to users but to entire communities go almost unchecked.
The Solution:

Wake Up! The best way to win in this War on Drugs is to stop interpreting the war as a war against people and to instead focus on the drugs themselves. After the third time of shooting up heroine, almost all users want to quit but can't because their addicted. People who are sent to jail for possession of any type of drug find plenty of drugs inside prison and more often than not leave prison addicted to another drug in addition to what they came in with. Nonviolent marijuana possessors are sent to prison where they must learn to be violent to survive and then are released into our communities more violent than ever. People die all the time from Meth, Cocaine, Heroine and OD-ing on pills but when was the last time you heard anyone die from smoking too much pot?

The answer to decreasing the use of drugs by young Americans is to change the War on Drugs from a focused war against users to an actual War on Hard-Drugs. A "war" where Health facilities with rehabilitation efforts are created and supported more than new jails are. A "war" where a variety of social programs that support communities where drug rates are highest are strengthened in an effort to help parents have more influence on their children's choices.

Just like any war military hospitals are a necessity in order to help the victimized. We need to stop sending our soldiers who are fighting their addictions and begin to help them to heal. Unfortunately for the Federal Government their version of the War on Drugs (just like their version of the war on Iraq) has failed and our youth have increased usage. Perhaps now it is time to refocus our efforts toward healing and potential success.