Last week there was an article in the Sentinel entitled Drug statistics sobering facts for parents. That was a pretty misleading title, because the article was really just about a regional conference of the National Association of School Resource Officers, but that's not super-important.Now, the conference focuses on various things, but since the Sentinel decided to focus on the drug element, so will I!
Here's some relevant stuff from the article:
Students need to hear drug prevention messages early and often, said Lacy Lowrey, the manager of national programming and development for Project 7th Grade.Damn pushers, stop making things look like candy!
[...]
Project 7th Grade, part of a Phoenix-based youth program, offers free presentations to parents through schools and law enforcement officers.Lowrey gave statistics on youth drug use and exposure, including photographs of illicit drugs that are designed to attract young users and, in some cases, look almost indistinguishable from candy.
Anyway, I had never heard of Project 7th Grade. But since they're getting free press in the Sentinel and are making presentations to local educators, I figured it might be a good idea to check them out and see whether they're reputable.
I should probably say from the outset that I think most drug prevention programs suck. The most well-known case of their suckage is probably the ridiculously ineffective waste of money that is the D.A.R.E. program.
Hell, you can even find articles in USA Today dating back to 1993 that talk about how DARE doesn't work. So it shouldn't be news to anyone that it's a waste of time and money. Yet people still support it, and I still got harrassed by some jerkwad in the entryway to Circuit City trying to raise money for it (he didn't like being told the research shows DARE is ineffective, apparently).
DARE is hardly alone in their suckage, though. The government's stupid anti-pot ads on tv may actually increase marijuana use, which frankly isn't surprising. Kids don't tend to listen to you when they can tell you're lying to them. Also, the ads are much funnier to watch when you're high.
So there's a lot of junk out there, and very few programs that work. But how about Project 7th Grade?
Now, I haven't been able to find any research on its efficacy, but it's a pretty new program. I did write to them asking if they could direct me to some research, but got no response. So let's just assume there isn't anything out there indicating their program actually works.
Still, if it's a sound program perhaps they'll pick up some good research down the road. Is it based on sensible ideas? Does it follow sound principles? What is it all about?
Having read over their stuff, it can be distilled down to one phrase from their website: "We recommend that you [drug] test your child frequently and randomly."
Of course, drug testing is generally a bad idea and has many destructive effects, but few positive ones. Even ignoring the erosion of trust and family bonds, there are false positives to be concerned about, not to mention oppositional effects (your parents don't trust you, so you might as well do drugs!). There's also a total lack of evidence that it's an effective deterrent to drug use. And, of course, it in absolutely no way addresses the source of the drug use. So it solves nothing.
Why would anyone put forth such a stupid program?
Well, that bit is easy. You see, Project 7th Grade is a partnership between notMYkid and First Check Diagnostics, LLC.
First Check Diagnostics just happens to be a company that makes and markets home drug testing kits. They have an ad on the front page of Project 7th Grade's website, and you get a free test kit at the completion of the program.
But, much like a 1970's movie where the pusher hooks unsuspecting suburbanites with free joints just to later get them hooked on smack, it's only the first one that's free. After that it's about forty bucks a pop. That's a pricey habit!
Sounds like a great program for putting money into the hands of drug testing companies, but not so great for actually dealing with drug use in kids.
Then again, most parents probably won't do more than a couple of these drug tests before they stop paying the high fees to do it. Which is awesome, because they'll already have managed to screw up their relationship with their kids. Then they'll stop testing and the kids can go off and inject angel dust into their eyeballs without needing to worry!
Now, the information that Project 7th Grade gives out may be truthful (though a perusal of their website suggests they're more in the fearmongering business than in actually taking a serious look at the issues). Perhaps they have other elements of the program that are good. I haven't seen the entire program, so I can't really say.
But it still appears to boil down to "drug test your kids." Which is just a terrible idea. So no, it's not a reputable program. It's a promotion for a home testing kit. Besides that, it's based on bad ideas. And chances are that if it has any effect on drug use at all, it's not a good effect.
Stay away from this one.
3 comments:
Hello “Unicow” and other readers-
I am Lacy Lowrey, Manager of National Programming and Development for Project 7th Grade, the organization mentioned. I just wanted to offer some more information regarding our program and the information that we are offering to parents and students.
Project 7th Grade is a national drug prevention program aimed at the parents of middle school schools. We target parents of students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades because drug use triples during these three years. Also, during any transition years, drug use has a high probability of increasing among students. The Project 7th Grade presentation is filled with statistics on teens and drug use, current drug trends, and pictures of drugs and paraphernalia. Simply put, we want parents to be aware of current drug trends so that they are better equipped to recognize if there is a problem in their family. Additionally, we discuss some ways of taking action to keep kids from trying drugs. While talking to kids about drugs could reduce substance abuse by 50%, combining communication with drug prevention actions could possibly reduce substance abuse by 100%. One of those action steps we suggest is the use of a home drug test.
There are three main ideas that support Project 7th Grade and the use of a home drug test kit. First, privacy. Parents are able to have the drug test kit in their home instead of involving school, police or doctors. The issue remains private between parents and their children. Second, it is proactive. Instead of waiting to react to an existing drug problem, we hope that education in combination with a home drug test kit will be a proactive step in keeping kids from trying drugs. Finally prevention. We want to prevent kids from experiencing the dangerous effects of drug use and we want parents to be able to verify their kids are remaining drug free.
With the introduction of the Project 7th Grade program and a home drug test kit, we have found that parents have great results. First, they are able to open the lines of communication with their children. Often, beginning a conversation about drugs can be awkward and scary for both parents and kids. We want the issue of drugs to be a topic that people feel comfortable discussing. By having a drug test kit in the home, parents have a tangible conversation starter. Kids can ask questions, parents can talk about what they know and find out what their kids know about drugs. Also, a home drug test can act as a deterrent from children. If we are driving and we see photo radar, we will slow down. The radar changes our behavior. The same concept can be applied to a home drug test kit. If parents have the kit at home, kids might think twice before trying drugs because their parents have a kit that they can use at any time. Finally, a drug test kit gives kids an easy way out of peer pressure situations. Instead of losing face with their friends and not being “cool,” when a kid is offered drugs, they can say “I can’t. My parents have a drug test at home.”
We do not recommend that parents immediately run home and start testing their children. Hopefully, the kit will be a conversation starter and a way to bring this awkward topic to the forefront. There are several ways to use the kit, and it all depends on the family and the situation. Many parents never have to open the kit; just having in their house is enough of a deterrent. We know some parents that test their kids regularly, and even test themselves as well to show their kids that the test isn’t a punishment. It’s just about doing everything you can to keep your family drug free.
Our hope is that Project 7th Grade, along with a drug test kit, will help parents to be more aware of what is going on and offer some ways to ensure their kids are protected.
We are very thankful to First Check for donating all of the test kits. Through their donations and community outreach, we are able to educate parents in all 50 states.
Thank you for your comments about our program. I am always happy to discuss it and hopefully reach more people. I hope this offers a little more insight into Project 7th Grade and the message that we are aiming to send to parents across the country.
Hi Lacy,
Thanks for the comments. I honestly do appreciate the thoughtful and lengthy response.
But I'm still pretty skeptical about your program.
For instance, you say: While talking to kids about drugs could reduce substance abuse by 50%, combining communication with drug prevention actions could possibly reduce substance abuse by 100%.
Those are totally unbelievable numbers. Do you have any statistics or research to back this up, or is it pure conjecture? Sure, it could do that, but it also could cause the sun to explode. Unless you have research to back this up, those numbers mean absolutely nothing.
Next, your three main ideas involving the drug test.
1) "Privacy": Frankly I find it absurd that you talk about "privacy." A drug test is a huge invasion of the privacy of the testee. Just because the government and schools aren't involved doesn't make it any less of an invasion of privacy of the individual being tested.
2) "Proactive": Education is fine. A drug test, however, is inherently reactive. If there are no drugs in the system it's not only not proactive, it's pointless.
3) "Prevention": I still don't see how your program can succeed in preventing "kids from experiencing the dangerous effects of drug use." Also, what of the not-so-dangerous effects?
With the introduction of the Project 7th Grade program and a home drug test kit, we have found that parents have great results.
I'd love to see some research on this. Can you point me to it? Anecdotal evidence is of course pretty meaningless.
Continuing: If parents have the kit at home, kids might think twice before trying drugs because their parents have a kit that they can use at any time.
Sure, they might. But do they?
I have yet to see research suggesting that's the case. On the other hand, I have seen research suggesting drug testing has no effect on actual drug use. It's not specific to home testing, but I see no reason why it shouldn't apply there too.
Many parents never have to open the kit; just having in their house is enough of a deterrent. We know some parents that test their kids regularly, and even test themselves as well to show their kids that the test isn’t a punishment.
Again, anecdotes don't cut it. Where's the research to back this up? There's research out there saying drug testing doesn't work, what says it does?
I also have a few other questions if you're still reading.
1) Does Project 7th Grade teach kids about how to deal with things like alcohol poisoning? It's one of the most prevalent problems arising from drug use, and being uneducated about it can be dangerous.
2) Does Project 7th Grade address the reasons why people use drugs beyond the strawmen of despair and unhappiness? By which I mean, does it acknowledge that some drugs are used simply for fun or experimentation? Furthermore, does it treat that experimental use (note: not abuse) as a problem or as something relatively normal (albeit discouraged)?
3) Is your drug prevention program abstinence-only, or does it acknowledge that many, many people in fact use drugs at some point and neither develop a problem nor ruin their lives? If it's abstinence-only, how do you reconcile that with the fact that abstinence-only sex education is a total failure?
I appreciate you visiting and contributing to this discourse, but I'm extremely skeptical that a program like this has any chance of success, and I see a lot of potential for harm.
While I'm sure you mean well, a lot of "coulds," "mights," and "mays" do not make for an effective drug prevention program. Where's the evidence to support this approach? Does any exist? Because to me it still seems like a pretty misguided idea.
I'd love for you to prove me wrong, though.
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