Students for Sensible Drug
Policy (SSDP) is committed to
providing education on harms
caused by the War on Drugs,
working to involve youth in
the political process, and
promoting an open, honest,
and rational discussion of
alternative solutions to drug
problems in the United
States. SSDP includes 120
university and high school
chapters across North
America. Some of the issues
about which they help raise
public consciousness are: the
Drug-Free Student Aid
Provision, which was
amended to the Higher
Education Act of 1998, urine
testing in schools, and
replacing zero tolerance with
harm reduction. SSDP Board
Chair Matt Atwood can be
reached by e-mail at
matt@ssdp.org.
What does SSDP think about drug
education; are there any programs or approaches it endorses?
SSDP believes it is imperative that all
students receive a comprehensive drug
education. The vast majority of current
drug education programs--those espousing "Just Say No" solutions to the problems
of youth drug abuse--have failed. We
need drug education programs that use a
harm reduction model instead of zero
tolerance reinforcements of the prohibitionist mind set. Safety First, a concept
championed by Marsha Rosenbaum of the
Drug Policy Alliance, is a reality-based
effort to educate parents and teens. By
following Dr. Rosenbaum's lead, many
other programs could be designed to fit the
needs of diverse communities, while still
minimizing the risks associated with
potentially dangerous behaviors.
The most important factor in judging
any drug education program is its ability
to pass the honesty test. While accepting
the reality of drug use amongst teenagers,
successful programs must deal honestly
and openly with the reasons for drug use,
the harms associated with risky behavior,
and the ways in which these harms can be
minimized.
How is the SSDP "Have you talked to
your parents about drugs?" project going?
The project is currently in the process
of being evaluated. While we still stress
the importance of honest and open
communication between parents and
children regarding drug use and the
problems caused by prohibition, it is often
difficult to gauge the success of an effort to
influence thousands of individual interac-
tions. The short answer is: students still
need to talk to their parents, and we will
continue to encourage this throughout our
organization's existence. In the future we
hope to develop the idea into book form,
tentatively titled How to Talk to Your
Parents About Drugs, in which we discuss
at length the need for open discussions
between parents and teens about drug use
and drug policy. The book would also
investigate the consequences when that
discussion fails to occur, both at the
individual and policy-making levels.
Do you have age limits or requirements
related to who can be a volunteer or have a
position of leadership in your organization?
There are no age limits in SSDP, either
for who can join a chapter or who can take
a leadership role in the organization. For
instance, David Brown is a high school
student in Florida and has been a trustee
of the Board of Directors for almost two
years. David recently remarked in an email:
Contrary to what most people seem to
believe, my being in high school [is]
more of a crutch than a detriment.
Nearly everyone in SSDP is very
enthusiastic about having high school
students involved. In fact, many of them
seem to have more respect for anyone
who can get involved at a younger age.
Drug policy reform is about changing attitudes before changing laws and
that's exactly what SSDP is doing. In my
freshman year of high school, a student
in my debate class once mentioned the
idea of marijuana decriminalization and
everyone laughed. Today, someone that
mentions drug policy reform will at least
get an earnest response, which is a huge
improvement from years past.
SSDP welcomes and values the
opinions of all students, especially with
regard to how they have been affected by
the War on Drugs. Placing an age restric-
tion on public participation in the political
process would be contrary to the mission
of SSDP, which seeks to involve youth in
the political process of reforming our
nation's drug laws.
SSDP T-SHIRT DESIGN
Proceeds from the sale of SSDP T-shirts go to help students who have lost their financial aid
as a result of the Higher Education Act Drug Free Student Aid Provision. To purchase a T-shirt,
or otherwise donate to SSDP, see www.ssdp.org.
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