Just Say 'No' to Drugs

The Just Say 'No' to Drugs campaign that was heralded in when Ronald Regan was president, may have been a good start in bringing national awareness to the drug problem in the U. S. Critics, then and now say that this campaign does not go far enough. Other critics say that this campaign has had the "forbidden fruit" effect of making drugs more enticing.

Just Say No

Whatever your belief, the Just Say 'No' to Drugs campaign offers but a simple solution to a complex problem. Over the years, the political propagandists behind the Just Say 'No' to Drugs campaign have tried to make it 'cool' to say 'no'. This has worked to some degree, but has fallen way short of what has been needed. Bringing about public awareness without public solutions are most often doomed to fail.

According to a report by the U.S. Center on Substance Abuse Prevention, "alternatives programming appears to be most effective among those youth at greatest risk for substance abuse and related problems." These alternatives are stated as activities free of alcohol, tobacco or illicit drug use. These alternative activities are also helpful for adults who want to say 'No' to drugs as well.

Many of those with addiction problems will at some point have to struggle with lifestyle and relationship changes that will need to occur in order for sobriety to take hold. For instance, the person suffering from an addiction, will at some point, need to think about both the activities and relationships to hold on to, put at a distance or let go of in order to make their sobriety work. Many addicts have started using again because the thought of giving up a friend or loved one, brought up too much fear and grief for them to handle at that point.

Having alternative activities in place while the addict is deciding which relationships to keep, distance from or abandon is generally a good idea. Just saying 'No' is not a simple as the campaign would have you believe.

Support groups of family, friends and others will need to be either formed or strengthened for the task. Decisions on what activities and friends to keep or not will have to be made. A job environment of a move to a new location may also be in order.

Some will acknowledge that the Just Say 'No' to Drugs campaign is not for the current addict but as means of prevention for the younger generations. This has had limited success though with teenagers who prefer being talked to rather that "talked at". But, those still on the Just Say 'No' to Drugs campaign trail say that this program is better than no program at all. In fact, this program of promoting slogans against drugs has expanded and with the variety of drug free slogans that have invaded the cultural consciousness, some positive impact is inevitable.

For lack of a better anti-drug campaign this may be true. It is interesting the note that even the U. S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has gotten into the Just Say 'No' to Drugs act. They are promoting that just saying 'No' is cool and to get high on intelligence and if you ever want to play "I Spy" with foreign nations under their watch, you may not do so if you've done drugs in the past or will do drugs in the future.