Pro-Positive Drug Education

The ignorance spawned by the US government today will mystify generations ahead of ours who will consider such organizations like the Partnership for a Drug-Free America and our irrational fears of drugs much the same way we view the Salem witch trials. Our leadership will appear particularly foolish for steering the public in a direction away from drugs by maintaining:

Drugs are BAD;

Drugs HARM;

Drugs KILL. When, in fact:

Drugs are GOOD;

Drugs HEAL;

Drugs SAVE LIVES.

The war on drugs is as imperfect as the name itself, when what we are promoting is a war against drug abuse. In consideration of that, we are not really against the drugs themselves, just the way that they are being misused and abused. For that matter, it is the way in which we administer drugs that is the error and thus, there can only be one solution, and that is education. Pro-Positive Drug Education (PPDE) is an approach to drug control based on how the human body responds to varying dosages of various drugs. PPDE does not stop at drug use education, but rather provides students with an understanding of drug types and how they react with the human body. It reveals to the student not just how to use drugs, but how to recover, when to use and not use certain drugs, it puts the classroom inside a local hospital where students can obtain knowledge from how to recognize signs of abuse and how to help someone recover. The long term effects of drug use are explored to help students make their own decisions and learn why the need to protect themselves.

PPDE is directly linked to Pro-Positive Drug Research (PPDR) which focuses on understanding the benefits of psychostimulants and to create, perhaps newer classes of drugs that are better and safer than the current drugs, while producing the same or similar effects, and addresses how those of us who cannot obtain a feeling of euphoria from a drug like crystal methamphetamine due to ADHD etc. can benefit from utilizing a second drug first, which controls hyperactivity, allowing the body to slow down before administering the psychostimulant. If all of this sounds bizarre or insane, don't be alarmed, we have all been indoctrinated to myopically focus on the negative aspects of drugs. PPDE&R is a method of retraining the brain to develop and respect the medicinal value of drugs. Remember, we have learned through Hollywood movies how to be careless about drugs. Film stars like Clark Gable, Vivian Leigh and others made us think that we are cool looking if we smoke cigarettes, that we create some kind of mystery... What PPDE does is erase that type of thinking to let us understand that the correct approach to drugs is not to use them as a crutch, but rather as a healthy solution, if we need them at all. After all, these stars made it seem like booze and smokes can be revered with the same casual attitude that goes with putting together a wardrobe, when in fact, there is a time and a place and a specific brain function that must be considered. There are millions of Americans who work at important careers who use illicit drugs today that will go unnoticed for the rest of their lives. And that is because they know when and how to use them. On the other hand, there are drug dealers who teach our youth that once they start using a certain drug, they don't have to stop, they don't have to be careful with dosage, or how it manufactured or where it came from. This is the thinking we want to erase and replace with a healthy approach to drug use.

Why is PPDE important? We live in a society of chemical substances and computer technology. We teach our youth everything there is to know about computers but when it comes to chemicals, the farthest we're willing to go is basic chemistry. Imagine if we only taught basic electricity and expected our youth to live in a world of computer technology. They would have no knowledge of the programs (the actual chemistry of computers), they would have no knowledge of how to operate a keyboard (the hypodermic needles, for example). By now you're probably asking: Well why the heck would we want to teach our kids all this if we don't want them to use the stuff, right? But that's precisely the reason why they should learn. When most children are introduced to drugs, it is almost always through an older sibling or older friend. Sometimes it is through a stranger or parent. None of these people just say: "Hey, do you want to try some drugs?" NO NO NO! They make it an attractive experience. They sell pleasure; not drugs. And they measure for pleasure, too. If our kids are going to learn about drugs, it should be from someone qualified to teach them.

Just think for a second. The war on drugs accomplishes one thing: it lets stangers teach our kids -- and adults -- how to administer illicit drugs. Now these "strangers" don't just get someone "high" just for the hellovit. They are doing what they are doing because in return they want money or favors. Most of the time, drugs involves sexual favors. about how their father or mother founteach kids how to over But first of all, remember this: all drugs are chemical substances, but not all chemical substances are drugs 1) Today's physicians operate using workflow management that limits the amount of time they work with a patient. PPDE provides patients with a solid foundation of knowledge and includes information about how to read vital statistics, how to

For many reasons Ovation Pharmaceutical would never consider such advertisement as the above, but one day in the not all that distant future, the public will finally become aware of the prejudice and discrimination that drug users face and it will become the responsibility of the user to live in an open drug culture. By changing attitudes now, we will be able to avoid confrontation in the future that could lead to political hostility.

IT'S NOT A FAD OR CRAZE

WITH THE NUMBER OF DRUG USERS / ABUSERS ALWAYS ON THE RISE

... AND THE BEAT GOES ON

During the early1970s, Sonny and Cher lost their TV show and nearly lost their careers for coming out against drugs. Cher was fortunate enough to have talent, while Sonny sought a career in politics. During the 1960s and 1970s, it was "hip" to use drugs as it had been to smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol. Today the war on drugs has changed public attitudes considerably but not their usage. There is no doubt that as long as we remain a chemical society, substances -- illicit or not -- will be on everyone's menu. Attempts to stop it will be like skipping a birthday and remaining the same age. In fact, illicit drugs and controlled substances will become legal or more accessible. The problem is: How will we handle this emergence of substances in our society? The answer: Common sense & education.

By eliminating the "moral panic" we can evolve gracefully through pro-positive drug education. This is not a liberal or conservative approach, it is the sensible solution and the one which will cost less and be more effective.

Beyond education, there is badly needed research to determine what the underlying benefits are to using these drugs. At this time, there are no answers.

Methamphetamine and marijuana (M&M) are perhaps the two most targeted substances today. Despite the number of people using these drugs, there has been little pro-positive research as common sense would suggest. Where any objective studies are considered, the results become quickly biased.

In 2005, Terry Jernigan,et al UCSD released a paper entitled Effects of Methamphetamine Dependence and HIV Infection on Cerebral Morphology. The paper contained the results of MRI studies on those with HIV who used crystal methamphetamine. While the MRI results indicated volume decreases of brain matter due to HIV, and volume increases to certain regions of the brain including the parietal cortex and basal ganglia, Jernigan twisted the information, indicating that although the volume increases were unexpected, they couldn't have any value for someone with HIV and forced an explanation that clearly shows the politically motivated bias that exists in our society. This is not only damaging to the science and understanding neurological interactions, but it diminishes the value of the paper when results are extrapolated and massaged to a prejudicial fault.