Author: James Linton

When I was young... ok, fine...TO THIS DAY, when dealing with people in my life like my folks, whom I feel the need to keep quiet the sketchier issues of my early adult life, I subscribe to the 'what they don't know won't hurt them' rule.

And you know what? The government agrees with me! Well, kinda. They believe something like 'what young adults don't know won't kill them or ruin their life'. Ok, I'm twisting words a bit here. Let me explain!!!

A Sydney West Area Health Service (SWAHS) booklet which tells teenagers what to do if they choose to experiment with drugs has been scrapped due to objections from parents and government officials about the appropriateness of its target demographic and its moral standpoint. "The Choosing to use ... but wanna keep your head together?" Booklet was apparently aimed at year 9 and 10 students and gives teenagers advice on what to do if they choose to experiment with drugs.

Australian National Council on Drugs chairman John Herron did not endorse it claiming it sent "mixed messages" while ex New South Wales Health Minister Reba Meagher took a more positive stance in saying "Much of the information contained in this brochure is focused on encouraging young people not to use drugs," while still finally damning the unacceptability of its 'what to do if you choose to use' information.

What's the big deal you say? Well... A report written in 1996 by the Drug Strategy Branch of the Department of Health and Ageing showed cannabis use increased with age from 5% of 12-year-olds having used cannabis to 32% of 17-year-olds.

Stats like this make me think those year 9 and 10 students are the absolute spot on target audience for drug education. Who's sending mixed messages now?!

So here it is. The age old war between zero tolerance and harm minimization, the ideal vs. the real, once again being fought on our local soil. The winner? Zero tolerance. The loser? Well it could just be the youth themselves.

Sure zero tolerance is the safe stance for the government, but is it so for the young people of Australia? When authority tell the youth they cannot do something, don't think they won't find a way to do it behind authority's back- this is almost the definition of today's youth- and, when they do, let them be informed!

The critics have highlighted what is wrong with the brochure and have banned it in an attempt to save children from misunderstanding its intent. But what about the youth who could be saved with solid, realistic advice like "take small amounts and not too often"?

Sounds like good advice to me! This brochure is not recommending drug use but is accepting the fact that many youth will try drugs and often be defiant to the powers telling them not to.

So the 'what they don't know won't hurt them' rule should sound more like 'what youth DO know might just save them one day'. I guess the government doesn't agree with me after all.