Reduction

should chs teach... HARM REDUCTION?

Investigating the nuances of harm reduction which make it effective in drug prevention among youth

TARUNA ANIL | SANIYA LAUNGANI

investigations editor | online editor-in-chief

Ipromise NOT to do drugs, avoid violence, be responsible, and make responsible choices.”

The Drug Abuse Resistance Education, or D.A.R.E, pledge. Whether you have taken the pledge or not, most students across the U.S. have had similar drug safety talks and programs. However, with 50 percent of teens using drugs at least once, it is time to question the effectiveness of these programs. Modern sex education does not solely teach abstinence, as those who will have sex would not know how to be safe — so why should our schools teach “Just- Say No,” without any other resources?

Harm reduction is a method of drug education that focuses on reducing the repercussions caused by drugs and teaching drug safety. The National Harm Reduction Coalition states that the program believes in creating judgment-free spaces, minimizing drug harm instead of ignoring it and providing drug safety resources across the country. Programs like D.A.R.E that follow the “Just Say No” philosophy have proved to be ineffective. A study conducted by psychologists at the University of Kentucky showed little to no difference between a group that had received D.A.R.E and the control group, which did not receive D.A.R.E, after ten years. In contrast, research by the University of New Mexico found that students who participat-

ed in an alcohol harm reduction program had significantly fewer alcohol problems than the control group.

A significant aspect that affects drug user safety is the presence of fentanyl in opiates and other drugs. Drug dealers often mix fentanyl with drugs such as heroin, cocaine and ecstasy, as fentanyl is a much cheaper alternative that provides the same effects. Fentan yl is 50100 times stronger than heroin and morphine; often, two milligrams or less can be fatal. In Santa Clara County, 30 of 68 confirmed fentanyl deaths were between ages 16-29. The Journal of the American Medical Association reported that 70 percent of youth overdos es in the United States are due to fentanyl. This ever-growing issue only further emphasizes the need for widespread harm-reduction education.

There is a ubiquitous belief that harm reduction facilitates drug use, causing reluctance among many stakeholders, like parents and teachers. But why prevent necessary education for youth and deprive them of protection strategies? Harm reduction is practical for teenagers, as the older we get, the more we see the prevalence of drug use, making the abstinence-oriented prevention we received in earlier years no longer effective. American schools should do ” whatever it takes to protect children. The steps schools can take to implement harm reduction include educating students on the dangers of fentanyl and providing access to fentanyl test strips and Naloxone. Naloxone, often branded as Narcan, is a medication designed to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. The widespread access to both of these resources can save lives and will encourage responsible use rather than abuse., Santa Clara County lists plac-

es one can get Naloxone as part of its Opioid Overdose Prevention Project at bhsd. sccgov.org. The county also allocated $135,000 to supply high schools “ ...WE MUST MAKE EFFORTS TOWARD CREATING THE PROGRAM AND with Narcan. However, it is based on each disANALYZING WHICH COMtrict’s inter“ AMERICAN SCHOOLS SHOULD DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO est in the program and is not a mandate— FUHSD should take advantage of this opportunity to promote drug safety to stuPONENTS ARE PROVEN EFFECTIVE. ” PROTECT CHILDREN. dents. Harm reduction education is complex, and we must make efforts toward creating the program and analyzing which components are proven effective. The approach should not stigmatize the user but acknowledges that an array of factors may have caused drug usage