Professor David Nutt Says Drug Education Should Be Treated Like Sex Education In Reddit AMA - Polidicks

[QUOTE]Drugs education must evolve to be treated in a similar way to sex education,[URL="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/professor-david-nutt/"]Professor David Nutt[/URL] has said.The government's former adviser on drugs has said opinions on narcotics in the UK "are shifting in the right direction," but warned that "moralising" is getting in the way of solid facts. [URL="http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2235ag/im_professor_david_nutt_sacked_for_telling_the/"]In a Reddit Ask Me Anything (AMA),[/URL] the drug research expert said that in the same way sex education used to be a totally taboo topic, drugs are still seen as a touchy subject in schools. "A similar process was seen with sex education," he said. "It used to be very common for moralising to get in the way of actually informing people, but over time people saw that inadequate education based on a 'just say no' attitude increased rather than reducing harm. "In sex education, it is now mainstream to take a 'harm reduction' approach, e.g. that it is better that young people know about and can access contraception, even if underage sex is not endorsed by teachers. "We're hopefully gradually moving towards a similar situation with drugs, where phobias about talking frankly will melt away."[/QUOTE] Source: [URL]http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/04/03/professor-david-nutt-drug_n_5084485.html?utm_hp_ref=tw[/URL]

Now this is a step in the right direction. Can't even believe how many states have already adopted medical MJ in America. Never thought it would come close to happening

What a nutt

Try telling that to the US where "abstinence only" sex education[I] is [/I]still popular.

Seems strange to hear this, in the UK (Or at my school at least) it pretty much was.

So we should get segregated and made to watch unintentionally hilarious videos?

Yeah good luck with that. There was several generations of constant "WAR ON DRUGS, WAR ON DRUGS, WEED RAPED MY WIFE AND KILLED MY DOG". Nowhere near a significant amount of actually relevant people is willing to admit that maybe, if approached responsibly, drugs might be a-okay, and it won't be the majority for quite a while, that's for sure.

I wasn't aware that sex education had improved past "don't have sex." I was confused thinking he was saying they should teach "don't do drugs."

[QUOTE=KillerJaguar;44449844]I wasn't aware that sex education had improved past "don't have sex." I was confused thinking he was saying they should teach "don't do drugs."[/QUOTE] This is in the UK where sex education is a bit more evolved

[QUOTE=KillerJaguar;44449844]I wasn't aware that sex education had improved past "don't have sex." I was confused thinking he was saying they should teach "don't do drugs."[/QUOTE] Sex education in the UK is usually pretty okay. When I was in school, they mentioned abstinence a couple of times but only between detailed explanations of proper contraceptive methods. Drug education on the other hand was pretty much "JUST SAY NO!" and that was about it.

Here this is already a thing, and I can attest that it's great.

[QUOTE=squids_eye;44449901]Sex education in the UK is usually pretty okay. When I was in school, they mentioned abstinence a couple of times but only between detailed explanations of proper contraceptive methods. Drug education on the other hand was pretty much "JUST SAY NO!" and that was about it.[/QUOTE] Sex Ed back home was mainly my gym teacher telling us about his oil rig buddies with STDs so i mean it could use work

[QUOTE=KillerJaguar;44449844]I wasn't aware that sex education had improved past "don't have sex." I was confused thinking he was saying they should teach "don't do drugs."[/QUOTE] In my schoolings in the UK, this was about 10 years ago (When I was 12/13), they gave us a talk where they split everyone into male and female groups and gave us separate talks on both sexes, including what happens to both during puberty and about sex/pregnancy. When I was 14/15 they gave another sex ed class for everyone where they demonstrated on dildo type things how to put condoms on among other things. Here, teenagers can sign up for an anonymous card which lets you go to one of these places and you just need to show the card to get a bag of mixed condoms. Doctors will also prescribe contraceptives to people under the age of consent if its obvious their talking isnt going to stop the kids from going at it.

It's been years since I finished school, and ages since we did drug education. If I recall correctly, when they taught us about the negatives of shit like cannabis and crystal meth, they threw in the negatives of tobacco and alcohol alongside them. Was good that they did that I guess, the hypocrisy of the 'drugs r bad mmmmkay' kind of people who scream 'muh freedoms' when regulation is passed to restrict tobacco usage is just astounding.

[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;44449842]Yeah good luck with that. There was several generations of constant "WAR ON DRUGS, WAR ON DRUGS, WEED RAPED MY WIFE AND KILLED MY DOG". Nowhere near a significant amount of actually relevant people is willing to admit that maybe, if approached responsibly, drugs might be a-okay, and it won't be the majority for quite a while, that's for sure.[/QUOTE] That's not even the point of harm reduction. Harm reduction is saying people are going to do dangerous things no matter what you try to do against it and therefore you shouldn't fight it, but instead offer those already insisting on taking those risks a hand in minimizing them. Informative (objective) flyers, handing out free condoms and clean syringes etc. is what's commonly understood as "harm reduction".

Drug education in my high school wasn't that bad, at all. They let you know some of the shit could fuck you up, but they never seemed to have a strong "don't do drugs or you WILL die" shtick. They made their word choice of "you shouldn't, health wise" clear.

People need to remember the US doesn't have one huge standard on this stuff. My schooling was pretty good. Accurate info on sex education and pregnancy prevention but also a reminder that abstinence is the only way to not get pregnant. Though drugs got bashed hard.

Lol sex ed for me was "ye ye cobdons an shit don't make da girl preggo but te only 100% way is not to bang"

[QUOTE=BLOODGA$M;44449784]Try telling that to the US where "abstinence only" sex education[I] is [/I]still popular.[/QUOTE] Uhhh not really. Mostly what they say is that abstinence is the only sure fire way to not get pregnant or catch STD's...which is true.

Drug ed should be like Sex ed? So, nonexistent?

in the us, if we treated drug education like sex ed we'd give it a blanket "DONT DO DURGES" just like sex. actually that's [I]exactly[/I] what happens already.

[QUOTE=BLOODGA$M;44449784]Try telling that to the US where "abstinence only" sex education[I] is [/I]still popular.[/QUOTE] Looks like it's safer to do drugs, kiddies. :v:

[QUOTE=InvaderNouga;44466286]Uhhh not really. Mostly what they say is that abstinence is the only sure fire way to not get pregnant or catch STD's...which is true.[/QUOTE] Not really. Abstinence doesn't necessarily mean you don't end up getting sex. Rape exists, you know. Plus, how many people who abstain actually keep at it? Wouldn't it be better people were knowledgeable on the subject? Instead of harping on about how abstinence is the 'best method' which honestly goes against most people's instincts, they may as well teach about varies types of contraception and their efficiency, and how to handle situations if it doesn't go to plan (see: STI, pregnancy).

[QUOTE=Bradyns;44467730]Looks like it's safer to do drugs, kiddies. :v:[/QUOTE] [i]Sex and drugs are the devils work. Any teen who does either are sinning.[/i] I'm interested to see the effects of this. If it was to be done.

[QUOTE=InvaderNouga;44466286]Uhhh not really. Mostly what they say is that abstinence is the only sure fire way to not get pregnant or catch STD's...which is true.[/QUOTE] My school preached abstinence because it would "keep marriage pure" in addition to preventing STIs and pregnancy. However, the only time they mentioned condoms or other forms of birth control, they immediately bashed them and claimed that they have a high failure rate. The results? A surprising number of 16 year old girls are pregnant at my school. Who woulda thunk it? This shitty "abstinence or you won't actually love your spouse/your dick will fall off" education system in America needs to stop. The best way to get a kid to do something is to tell him not to. Currently, drug education is treated the same way, at least in conservative Midwest America.

[QUOTE=Flapadar;44468213]Not really. Abstinence doesn't necessarily mean you don't end up getting sex. Rape exists, you know. Plus, how many people who abstain actually keep at it? Wouldn't it be better people were knowledgeable on the subject? Instead of harping on about how abstinence is the 'best method' which honestly goes against most people's instincts, they may as well teach about varies types of contraception and their efficiency, and how to handle situations if it doesn't go to plan (see: STI, pregnancy).[/QUOTE] They do that in the more developed areas already, at least in the north east and on the west coast.

[QUOTE=BLOODGA$M;44449784]Try telling that to the US where "abstinence only" sex education[I] is [/I]still popular.[/QUOTE] I live in Alabama, Our sex education was a fucking joke, We were basically told "if you have premarital sex you WILL Die" no exceptions. We actually had a "Born again Virgin" come in and talk to us. I called the guy a hypocrite and got Iss, Shit was cash.

[QUOTE=Death_God;44449716]What a nutt[/QUOTE] You could say he's a nutty professor.

My school's drug education consisted of watching an episode of Intervention every day. For those of us who weren't already addicts of one type or another, it was pretty effective.

Our drug education was pretty good, but I think that was mainly just because the woman who ran it really knew how to get messages across effectively to 15-16 year olds. She said she's not going to preach to us, but just present to us the facts of how dangerous drugs can be , and give us the information on services that can help us (like FRANK). She even let some guy get up in-front of the class and demonstrate how to make a spliff. Things that need to be said, rather than just "DON'T DO DRUGS END OF", include services there to help you if things do go wrong, and the fact if you buy some pills/powder/tab off a guy in a club or wherever [b]you don't have a fucking clue what it really is[/b]. And although weed is "safe", in the U.K there is a lot of modern day slavery and human trafficking behind it.