Scare stories ‘not working’ says drug expert

WE’VE all heard scare stories about illicit drugs, but if we want young people to ditch them we should try a different approach.

YOU could be doing more harm than good if you express “extreme” views on drugs with teenagers, warns a health expert who says it’s better to talk openly through issues.

Paul Dillon, from Drug and Alcohol Research Training Australia, says repeating the scare stories we read about in the media is counter-productive when it comes to trying to persuade young people not to take drugs.

After speaking with tens of thousands of teenagers and parents, he believes the best way to turn young people off is to open up and have a frank discussion about why people take them.

“First off, you’ve got to acknowledge the positives,” he told 3AW today. “Why do people do it. I’m not saying write down all the positive things about cocaine.

“But just ask, why would anyone use this drug? They obviously know the perceived positive benefits and you can then challenge them.

Dillon has spoken to tens of thousands of young people about drugs. Source: AFP.

“Number one, it’s illegal and then you can then talk about the realistic harms. You have to be absolutely honest. A good relationship with your kids and good communication is the key.”

However, Mr Dillon said scare stories won’t work.

“We only ever talk about ecstasy when someone dies, but the reality is that very few people die from ecstasy but everyone that does ends up on the front page of the paper,” he said. “So we get a warped view.

“If you keep saying ecstasy kills you, and then your child goes to a nightclub or a music festival and there’s no dead people lying around — then the information you’ve given doesn’t match the experience.

“Of course you’ve got to acknowledge the extreme end of the dangers, but you’ve also got to acknowledge the other ones. Many people who take ecstasy experience nausea, they’ll vomit and not feel well. Most importantly it’s illegal — so your life will change if you get caught.”

The most recent 2014 Australian Secondary Students’ Alcohol and Drug survey of more than 23,000 students aged between 12 and 17 found 96.9 per cent had never used ecstasy, 98.1 per cent had never used cocaine, 98.5 per cent had never used opiates, and 97.6 per cent had never used amphetamines.

More than 80 per cent had never used tranquillisers, cannabis, inhalants, hallucinogens or steroids.

Dillon believes the key to turning young people off drugs is being honest. Source: iStock.

This tallies with Mr Dillon’s research. Out of 120,000 children he had spoken to in 2017, he said a vast majority told him they had never touched illicit drugs.

“Parents are so concerned about the ice epidemic that they are actually neglecting other issues,” he told 3AW.

“I’ve had parents say to me: ‘My child drinks alcohol when they’re 15, but at least they’re not using ice.’

“Of course ice is a problem in certain areas — but its not sweeping through all our kids and if we keep talking about those who do use drugs, we actually forget the majority who don’t.

“Most young people just don’t do this.”

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