Redefining Success: A Harm Reduction Evaluation of Abstinence-based Drug Education
Open AccessDespite pervasive abstinence-based drug education in American schools, drug prevalence rates and harm related to drug use indicate that drug education programs have not been effective. According to some experts, looking at drug use rates is not enough to determine whether or not drug policies including drug education programs have been effective. Instead, measures of harm associated with drug use including risky behavior such as dangerous activities while intoxicated, risky ingestion methods (i.e. intravenous drug use), drug dependence or abuse, and other health problems should be used to evaluate drug education. This thesis evaluates drug education from a harm reduction perspective using National Survey on Drug Use and Health data. Abstinence-based drug education when measured from a harm reduction perspective is ineffective and is significantly related to some increased levels of harm amongst drug users.
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