DARE TO CHANGE

Feb. 25, 2001 - Leaders of the ubiquitous DARE program to deter
schoolchildren from using drugs finally admitted this month - after
criticism by the U.S. Surgeon General and the National Academy of Sciences
- - that their Drug Abuse Resistance Education is ineffective and needs
retooling.

Indeed, the entire "Just Say No" approach championed by Nancy Reagan in
1983 has become laughable as drug use and abuse have soared to new heights
in the years since.

The biggest increase in recent years, though, has been with Ecstasy, a
wildly popular nonhallucinogen that engenders feelings of empathy and
openness while diminishing or eradicating anxiety, defensiveness and
alienation.

The world's top chemists would have a hard time concocting a substance with
effects more appealing to today's teenagers.

Alienation, loneliness and uncertainty - coupled with pessimism about the
future - plague many of today's teens, giving Ecstasy a special magnetism.

But while youngsters clearly don't respond to the "Just Say No" edict, they
should think carefully before using this drug, especially in the dangerous
context of today's rave scene.

Teens with patterns of heavy drug use essentially foreclose normal
adolescent development. And the experience of Ecstasy - virtually falling
in love with your entire peer group on the dance floor every weekend -
likely will detract from the importance of real relationships, such as
truly falling in love.

In addition, drug abuse often can be an underlying marker for depression
and anxiety disorder, issues better addressed by work in psychotherapy or
with a peer group than by escapism through Ecstasy.

While teenagers don't respond well to being told what to do, as seen by the
dismal results of DARE, they make better decisions themselves when they
have parents who talk with them, share time with them, help them reach a
level of spirituality and show tolerance during the difficulties of
adolescence.

They also need parents and other role models willing to tell them the real
truth about drugs and alcohol.

Teenagers who defer such experimentation can experience true magic, as
their unique personalities emerge, their special talents and interests are
unlocked and their fantasies for the future unfold. This is an experience
that comes only once. It would be a shame to miss it.