B y the time most students get to college, the only formal education they’ve had on the topic of recreational drug use is through the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program. This program preaches a form of abstinence that may be appropriate for younger students, but loses it’s potency as students grow up and interact more with recreational drugs.
A more realistic version of drug education — one that recognizes that some students will take drugs — should be included in the online alcohol module freshmen have to complete before they show up.
Little needs to be said to make the argument that the DARE drug education program is not enough to equip a college age person with the decision making tools necessary to coherently navigate college life.
Many students begin their time at Chapel Hill with little or no experience with recreational drug use. These students rarely know anything about the practical information associated with being in and responding to social situations that involve drugs. This could have drastic effects on their safety and the safety of those around them.
Such information includes the ability to recognize and distinguish certain drugs and know the different ways the drugs affect individuals. It is important that students be informed of the effects of certain drugs when either taking them or interacting with those that have.
It’s time for UNC to recognize the presence of recreational drug usage on campus and provide a module style introduction to basic safety. The University has practiced this for years with alcohol modules for incoming freshmen, despite the vast majority of freshmen being too young to drink. The University is being unrealistic if it allows the social taboo against recreational drug usage to prevent it from properly educating its students.
