Education as a tool for preventing drug abuse

As the local elections heat up, the issue of drugs has become a focal point of public discussion. Political considerations are inevitably part of election-related debates — but if they can prompt society to re-examine drug policy, it might not be a bad thing. Rather than arguing over who is tougher on drugs, we should instead consider what constitutes the most fundamental anti-drug policy.

Early approaches to drug control focused heavily on enforcement, punishment and incarceration. However, practitioners found that incarceration alone was not enough to address addiction. Consequently, policies have expanded to incorporate management, treatment and harm reduction.

Drug enforcement disrupts supply, addiction treatment helps people recover and harm reduction minimizes harm to individuals and society — each is a vital part of the equation.

However, drug seizures might represent only a fraction of the drugs in circulation, while addiction treatment requires sustained investment of resources.

Beyond asking how we stop drugs from coming in and how we help people quit after they become addicted, we should take the question one step further: How can we ensure that children never want to try drugs in the first place?

Tainan’s experience warrants attention. Since 2021, the Tainan Bureau of Education has promoted drug awareness campaigns. In 2022, Tainan’s anti-drug program — initiated by a senior prosecutor and backed by the city government — mobilized resources from the judiciary, academia, lawyers and civil society organizations to produce 10 short anti-drug videos for elementary and junior-high schools across the city.

The education bureau also scheduled the videos to be shown at the beginning, middle and end of each semester, supplemented by anti-drug educators and realistic teaching aids featuring emerging drugs. Two minutes might seem brief, but when these messages appear repeatedly in children’s daily lives — serving as a constant reminder that drugs should be avoided — they can help develop an internal framework for making sound judgements about drugs.

Even more encouragingly, some elementary schools have begun developing their own anti-drug education programs, showing that anti-drug efforts have begun shifting from being something government-mandated to a voluntary undertaking on the part of schools. If this grassroots momentum continues to spread, it could foster a culture in which schools, teachers, students and families all play a role.

Hating drugs should mean rejecting drugs and the harm they cause, not discriminating against those struggling with addiction. The central government should continue to provide treatment and opportunities for people with substance abuse disorders to reintegrate into society. For children, the focus should be on building psychological resilience and a strong defense against drugs from an early age.

Once drugs infiltrate society, the costs associated with enforcement and treatment are immense. By contrast, starting with everyday education entails relatively limited costs, but could yield lasting preventive benefits.

If “don’t use drugs” can become as natural a habit and value choice for children as observing traffic lights before crossing the street, only then would we have the kind of anti-drug policy that is worth long-term government investment.

Yang Yung-nane is a professor in the Department of Political Science and vice dean of the College of Social Sciences at Cheng Kung University.