I was in the field of drug and alcohol prevention and still have some connection to it through my current work, and this makes absolutely perfect sense, based on what we know about attitudes and behavior. Attitudes about a drug have a direct impact on its use. If people think society as a whole doesn’t have a problem with a particular activity, the participation in that activity increases. Perception that parents don’t disapprove also has an impact. Certainly not to say these are the only things that have an impact, but any time you seem movement on these indicators, it is usually a bad sign for use patterns.

I also agree that the defunding and de-emphasis of prevention under the Bush administration can be cited as one of the reasons for the change, but there are also cultural factors at play here, and having worked with the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities program and understanding quite a bit about how it works on a nationwide basis, I believe the president is right to cut the funding, but I hope additional resources will be redeployed in a more targeted way, rather than just being eliminated.

Youth Drug Use May Climb | Reclaiming Futures Every Day.

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