THE DRUG POLICY ALLIANCE

                                       ………. A Dangerous Organization

The Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) was formed in 2002 as a merger between the Drug Policy Foundation and the Lindesmith Center, all of which were funded by George Soros. Their mission is to legalize and decriminalize drugs.  They are firmly entrenched throughout the United States, buying politicians with monies clandestinely provided by George Soros and others who apparently have a stake in the legalization of drugs.  Their arguments against prohibition of drugs sound good on the surface, but in reality are maligned and largely untrue.  They use and abuse the freedom of speech to proliferate information that supports their corrupt cause, to the detriment of protecting young people and this nation from the ravages of drugs.  In my opinion, they are one of the most dangerous organizations in America.

As an example of their wisdom, they promote such things as “Safe Crack Kits” for young people, so they won’t cut their lips, which could lead to sexually transmitted disease when having oral sex.  Never mind that the crack might kill them. 

The DPA promotes giving free needles to heroin addicts under the pretense of harm reduction, saying that dirty needles lead to the proliferation of sexually transmitted disease such as AIDS and Hepatitis C.  Sounds good!  It just doesn’t work.  Drug addicts don’t care a hoot about clean needles.  They just want their next fix.   The DPA say it works, but in reality it hasn’t worked anywhere.  Giving needles to drug addicts is the equivalent of giving bullets to someone playing Russian Roulette.  Since 80% of injecting drug addicts die from overdose, they simply help addicts expedite their own demise.  In communities where needle exchange programs have been implemented, 40% of the needles end up being discarded in the streets where children can step on them and/or pick them up and potentially become infected.

The want to legalize Marijuana, and do so by promoting marijuana for medical use.  The reality is, according to years of research, smoked marijuana has no medicinal value.  It can help reduce nausea and vomiting in chemo patients, like other legal medicines.  But, the big push for medical marijuana is simply a guise for legalizing marijuana for general recreational use.   The effort should be called “medical excuse marijuana”.  While many States, including California, have allowed marijuana for medical use, the Supreme Court is currently considering whether the Federal law can supersede State law by restricting possession of this controlled substance. 

While one can argue any of these subjects for adults, irrespective of their authenticity, there is no excuse for targeting children for the expansion of drug use.  The most visible example of the maligned motives of the DPA is their effort in California to craft State legislation that would preclude local school systems from implementing random drug testing …. the best known deterrent to drug use.  The fact that they almost succeeded, had it not been for the Governor’s veto, testifies to danger that exists from their infiltration into our legislative process.

In cases where local school boards are considering random drug testing to protect students and enhance the learning environment, the DPA is immediately on location presenting false, but persuasive information to the unenlightened, to persuade them to not implement such a program.  Lebanon, Oregon. Hawaii and Georgia are all recent cases in point.  Why are they trying so hard to prevent good prevention programs for kids?  There is only one explanation;  to keep the avenues open to expand the sale of drugs to kids. 

The DPA has published two booklets full of false information, which they distribute freely to school systems around the nation:  “Making Sense of Student Drug Testing:  Why Educators are Saying No”; and Safety First, by Marsha Rosenbaum, which will be discussed later.   Let’s examine the first.

Excepts from the book Making Sense….. offered on the DPA website, include the following, along with my comments, (in bold):

DRUG POLICY ALLIANCE

                                     “RANDOM DRUG TESTING DOES NOT DETER DRUG USE”

                                                (ABSOLUTELY FALSE!  IT DOES DETER DRUG USE.)

Comprehensive, rigorous, and respected research shows that there are many reasons why random student drug testing is not good policy.

·         Drug testing is not effective in deterring drug use among young people;

(That is a simply not true.  It is the best deterrent as proven wherever an effective program has been implemented.)

·         Drug Testing is expensive, taking away scarce dollars from other, more effective programs that keep young people out of trouble with drugs. 

(Drug testing costs as little as $2.50 per test for up to five drugs; only 10% of the students need to be tested to get the desired deterrent effect.  There are no other more effective programs to keep young people out of trouble with drugs.)

·         Drug Testing can be legally risky, exposing schools to potentially costly litigation.

(The Supreme Court upheld a school’s right to do random drug testing for athletes and those engaged in extra curricular activities.  The ACLU, backed financially by pro-drug billionaires like Peter Lewis and George Soros, have sponsored litigation for years, to no avail.  At this point, even the Dept of Justice has offered to help defend any School District that is challenged legally.)

·         Drug testing can undermine relationships of trust between students and teachers and between parents and children:

(It is just the opposite.  Random Drug Testing takes the onus completely off the teachers and parents back, and makes the child accountable for his or her own actions.  If a kid tests positive, the parents and counselors are then called in to provide help, hopefully before it is too late.)

·         Drug testing can result in false positives, leading to the punishment of innocent students.

(If on-site drug test kits indicate a positive, a lab confirmation report interpreted by a Medical Review Officer can clear it up, as can an explanation from the parents and/or doctor about prescribed medication.  Further, the non-punitive nature of the prescribed program means kids only get help, not punishment.)

·         Drug testing does not effectively identify students who have serious problems with drugs.

(Random drug testing can identify students who have serious problems with drugs, hopefully before their problem becomes irreversible.  If a kid already has a serious problem before he or she has been randomly tested, chances are it will have surfaced with the school, law enforcement or at home.  In that case, testing is no longer at random, but probably required on an on-going basis.  It is also worthy to note that on the average a kid uses drugs for two years before the parents even find out.)

·         Drug testing may lead to unintended consequences, such as students using drugs that are more dangerous but less detectable by a drug test, and learning the wrong lessons about their constitutional rights. 

(There are tests for just about all drugs, and substantial efforts by drug users to beat these tests.  But, properly administered tests work the vast majority of times.  As to constitutional rights, the Supreme Court had it right when they said a child’s right to privacy is minimal.  Their right to life is vastly more important.  If we can get them to adulthood intact, they can enjoy all the freedoms, less those that we all give up to protect ourselves because of the threatening behavior of a few.)

There are alternatives to drug testing which emphasize education, discussion, counseling, extracurricular activities, and build trust between students and adults. 

(These don’t have to be alternatives, but can be in addition to random drug testing, the best known deterrent.  As to trust …. we can only trust teenagers to be teenagers.  Trust alone has not and will not work.   60% of kids are at moderate to high risk; we have a death rate of one person every 8 to 10 minutes; terrible destruction to our society; and a cost of potentially $500 billion per annum from abusing substances that are illegal for all kids, for good reason.  We can’t afford to gamble that our teenagers will be any different that we were as teenagers; or for that matter, and different than we are as adults. )

Largest National Study Shows Drug Testing Fails

(This survey is called Monitoring the Future.  The person who conducted this study, Dr. Lloyd Johnson, drew conclusions that were simply false based on the methodology used in the survey.  He drew no distinction between schools with suspicion based drug testing and random drug testing.  Nor did he survey schools that had good random drug testing programs, and therefore had no basis for making such conclusions.  His conclusions, assailed by the best drug prevention experts in the U.S., including the ONDCP, belie his professional status, and cast serious doubt as to his true motives.  Random Drug Testing has worked very well wherever it has been implemented properly.)

The really big question is, why is the DPA so determined to prevent schools from implementing the best known prevention program, if not to keep the avenues open to market more illicit drugs to children?  If there was any credence to their position on random drug testing, they wouldn’t have to lie. 

The DPA and illicit drug trade know the science that says if a kid reaches adulthood intact they won’t have a problem.  They know that almost all drug addicts got hooked as teenagers.  They know if they score early, they can create a captive market for their insidious products; and if they wait until a child matures and survives the physiological vulnerability of youth, they may never have the chance to get them hooked. 

The DPA’s panic to push corrupt legislation in California (i.e. CA SB 1386) was a direct response to the efforts of President Bush and the Office Of National Drug Control’s effort to promote random drug testing …. because they know it is the answer to safeguarding kids.

Short of a federal mandate, the task of selling each school district on the benefits of non-punitive random drug testing is going to take time, and a lot of effort.  In the interim, if you are a parent and your school District is considering the move, rest assured that the DPA will be on location to dissuade the School Board from making the right decision.  My advice would be to get a big stick, guard your child like a junk yard dog, and run the bastards out of town on a rail – preferably tarred and feathered, like the old days.

There are other organizations pushing for drug legalization.  The Medical Marijuana Project; Norml; Students For Sensible Drug Policy are three.  Others, like the American Medical Initiate in Santa Monica, or Safety First in Oakland, are created to circumvent campaign contribution laws.  The all have something in common, however.  They are almost all funded by Soros, Lewis and Sperling.  … America’s internal Axis of Evil.

Irrespective of what one believes should or should not be allowed for adults, no responsible person would promote the use of drugs by teenagers.   There is a reason why kids can’t legally smoke, consume alcohol or vote until adulthood, and there are reasons why illicit drugs are prohibited for everyone. 

                                                            There is no level of responsible drug use by teenagers.

SAFETY FIRST

And The Professional Defection Of  Marsha Rosenbaum

Marsha Rosenbaum is a self professed drug abuse expert, whose research was funded for 18 years by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.  If the contents of her booklet called SAFETY FIRST, a Reality-Based approach to TEENS, DRUGS, and Drug Education is reflective of her research, we should demand our tax dollars back.  If ever she was a professional, she has now reduced herself to a snake oil salesman.

The worst thing about it is that 30,000 copies of SAFETY FIRST were printed and distributed by her employer, The Drug Policy Alliance (DPA), and copies were given to every school in the nation.  That should kill more than a few kids, and keep the supply lines open for drugs ….DPA’s mission. Her affiliation with DPA alone is enough to expose her true intent.

In my 25 year search for answers as to how my stepchildren could fall victim to drugs, and as a very active drug prevention activist for the last 7 or 8 years, I have searched for solutions with no pre-conceived ideas of what it took to keep kids off drugs.  But just about everything I have learned flies in the face of her advice.  If she has any expertise with drugs, suffice it to say she exhibits none as a drug prevention expert.

One of our cherished rights in America is freedom of speech. As reflected in SAFETY FIRST, the ability to propagate false information for specials interests, whatever they may be, also suggests it is one of the flaws.  Ms. Rosenbaum’s special wisdom ignores science and seems to be gained mostly from kids: For example, she states:

“They know there are differences between experimentation, abuse and addiction: and that the use of one drug does not inevitably lead to the use of another.

Yet, conventional drug education programs focus predominantly on abstinence-only messages and are shaped by problematic myths:

Myth #1:                Experimentation with drugs is not a common part of teenage culture.

Myth #2:                Drug use is the same as drug abuse;

Myth #3:                Marijuana is the gateway to drugs such as heroin and cocaine; and

Myth #4:                Exaggerating risks will deter young people from experimentation.”

First of all, there is scientific evidence that use of one drug increases the chances a child will use another.   It normally starts with cigarettes, then alcohol and then pot.  Not all kids who use pot, for example, will advance to harder, more dangerous drugs.  But, according to Columbia University (CASA), they are 85 times more likely to do so.  For those young people who were born with the pediatric onset disease of addiction, experimentation and just “use” often leads to addiction.  Experimentation with drugs is a common part of teenage culture only because we allow it.

Secondly, there should be no level of drug (alcohol, tobacco and other drugs) use that is acceptable for teens, because they are physiologically more susceptible to harm and addiction than adults.  Their brains aren’t even fully developed until their late teens or early twenties. No responsible drug expert would say just teach them how to use drugs responsibility.

With regard to telling kids the truth, there is no reason to exaggerate the risks of drugs.  The truth alone should be sufficient for anyone with average intellect who is seeking the truth.  However, these are children and adolescents we are talking about.  The reason they can’t vote is that they haven’t gained the cognitive skills to make mature decisions, including making the healthy decisions about their own activities as teenagers. Most of us weren’t any smarter at that age.

Ms. Rosenbaum states “…Our current efforts lack harm reduction education for those students who won’t “just say no”.  In order to prevent drug abuse and drug problems among teenagers who do experiment, we need a fallback strategy that puts safety first.”  

The fallback strategy that works is non-punitive random student drug testing.  Those who will become addicted because of our permissive practices at school and at home need early detection and immediate treatment.  But treatment doesn’t work most of the time.  As Rosenbaum stated, 80% to 90% of kids don’t have a problem.  But 10% to 20% do, and many more don’t just come out whole.  They aren’t totally unscathed.   They are damaged, many of whom will never achieve their full potential, even if they aren’t complete addicts. 

Rosenbaum’s  “MOTHER’S ADVICE” to son Johnny is naïve and myopic in view of the current state of the American family. The nation has a 49% divorce rate; single parenting; two parents working; drug using parents; child abuse, et. al.  According to the 2000 US Census, 5,265,482 Americans are raising their grandchildren, because the real parents, their children, cannot.  There is a reason why 60% of our kids are at moderate to high risk of using drugs and alcohol.  Parents are number one in terms of at-risk behavior, followed by school environment. But schools are the safety net.

Rosenbaum suggests parents “…..find creative ways to open a dialogue, then listen, listen, listen.”  If only it were that easy!   If the kid is already using drugs, you can forget about a calm, honest objective dialogue.  If he or she is just weighing the options, then parents need to carefully weigh the competition.  They must  evaluate their persuasive skills against peer pressure; the need for a teenager to be accepted; the chance of a the child having a genetic propensity to become addicted; and the forceful, deliberate attempt of a $600 billion illicit drug trade focused on getting their child hooked on their insidious products before adulthood, when science says they are safe. 

Marijuana is a gateway drug, and it is dangerous in its own right.  Over 60% of the young people in rehab programs are there for addiction to pot.  Marijuana also has a very debilitating effect on short term memory and a child’s ability to learn; it adversely affects motivation; retards the maturation process and leads to a multitude of physiological problems, including mental illness.  Teaching children there is a safe, responsible level of marijuana use is blasphemous.  Parents that smoked pot 20 to 30 years ago also need to understand that marijuana is now about 4 times stronger. 

Rosenbaum, carrying the DPA banner, said research and experience tells us ….. “random drug testing does not deter drug use”.  She knows that is not true.  In every case where it has been done properly, it has dramatically reduced drug use.  Schools in Oregon have shown that drug use by kids in a school which tested for drugs was only 25% of the level in schools that did not test.  At Hunterton Central Regional schools in New Jersey, after 2 years drug use was reduced in 20 of 28 categories.  At De La Salle High School in New Orleans, which the kids had nicknamed De La Drugs, drug use has all but been eliminated by use of hair analyses.  Ball State University did a study that showed 73% of High School Principals reported a reduction in drug use among students subject to drug testing, while 2% reported an increase.  

Rosenbaum said testing athletes “can deter them from participating.”   Research has shown that not to be true in general, and only for a few.  If they are using drugs, they should not be competing in athletics.  It is dangerous, for them and others.  So, kids have a choice.

Her biggest lie of all was that random drug testing is “expensive and inefficient”.  She cites school administrators in Dublin, Ohio who curtailed their random drug testing program because they calculated their expenses at $35,000 a year,  1,473 students at $24 a piece, because they only got 11 positive results, a cost of $3,200 per “positive” test.  Since random drug testing is a deterrent, the correct way to measure the program would be to divide the cost of $35,000 by the 1,462 kids that didn’t do drugs, which would yield a cost of a little less that $24 per student.  And not that facts would serve her purpose, but on-site drug test kits are now available for as $2.50. That is the cheapest health and life insurance that money can buy.

Ms. Rosenbaum has sold her soul to one of the most dangerous organizations in America:  The Drug Policy Alliance (DPA).  In joining their organization and advocating against the best known drug use deterrent, she has essentially defected to the other side.   She is not credible and cannot be trusted.