News (Media Awareness Project) - Australia: Youth Ban Says Drug Naive, Expert |
| Title: | Australia: Youth Ban Says Drug Naive, Expert |
| Published On: | 1998-11-25 |
| Source: | Herald Sun (Australia) |
| Fetched On: | 2008-09-06 19:19:13 |
YOUTH BAN SAYS DRUG NAIVE, EXPERT
TRYING to stop teenagers from using drugs was naive, a drugs expert told an
international conference In Melbourne yesterday.
Most youths experimented with illegal substances without going on to
develop dangerous drug habits, he said.
"The notion that we will be able to have no drug use is naive and never
going to be the situation," said Dr John Howard, director of Clinical Drug
Dependence Studies at Sydney's Macquarie University.
Dr Howard said young continue to take drugs and their communities would
have to learn to deal with it.
"It is going to happen - there is always going to be drug use of some sort
over any period of time," he said.
A senior lecturer in psychology, Dr Howard has been one of several experts
to address the first International Conference on Drugs and Young People.
More than 700 local and foreign drug industry experts are taking part in
the three-day conference organised by the Australian Drug Foundation and
the Centre for Youth Drug Studies.
Dr Howard used his address to warn that drug programs designed for adult
users did not work on young people.
This was because of the different backgrounds and program needs of a user
in their 30s or 40s compared to a teenager just starting to use.
Dr Howard criticised the use of ex-drug users to warn young people on drug
dangers.
"Being told that 'drugs ruin your life' is clearly a contradictory message
when young people see ex-users alive, coping and recovering," Dr Howard
said.
"The message kids take away is that 'drugs can't be that bad for you - I've
got years of drugging to go'," he said.
Dr Howard also warned against treatment programs for young drug users,
saying preventing them from using drugs achieved better results than
treating them for drug use.
"By and large, treatment is not spectacularly successful," Dr Howard said.
He congratulated the Federal Government's approach to provide funding to
drugs programs that had been evaluated, had a proven track record and were
open to scrutiny.
Checked-by: Joel W. Johnson
TRYING to stop teenagers from using drugs was naive, a drugs expert told an
international conference In Melbourne yesterday.
Most youths experimented with illegal substances without going on to
develop dangerous drug habits, he said.
"The notion that we will be able to have no drug use is naive and never
going to be the situation," said Dr John Howard, director of Clinical Drug
Dependence Studies at Sydney's Macquarie University.
Dr Howard said young continue to take drugs and their communities would
have to learn to deal with it.
"It is going to happen - there is always going to be drug use of some sort
over any period of time," he said.
A senior lecturer in psychology, Dr Howard has been one of several experts
to address the first International Conference on Drugs and Young People.
More than 700 local and foreign drug industry experts are taking part in
the three-day conference organised by the Australian Drug Foundation and
the Centre for Youth Drug Studies.
Dr Howard used his address to warn that drug programs designed for adult
users did not work on young people.
This was because of the different backgrounds and program needs of a user
in their 30s or 40s compared to a teenager just starting to use.
Dr Howard criticised the use of ex-drug users to warn young people on drug
dangers.
"Being told that 'drugs ruin your life' is clearly a contradictory message
when young people see ex-users alive, coping and recovering," Dr Howard
said.
"The message kids take away is that 'drugs can't be that bad for you - I've
got years of drugging to go'," he said.
Dr Howard also warned against treatment programs for young drug users,
saying preventing them from using drugs achieved better results than
treating them for drug use.
"By and large, treatment is not spectacularly successful," Dr Howard said.
He congratulated the Federal Government's approach to provide funding to
drugs programs that had been evaluated, had a proven track record and were
open to scrutiny.
Checked-by: Joel W. Johnson
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