In May, 2001, 16 year-old Brandy French and her friends went to an all day concert. They expected to listen to some music and have a little fun, but it didn't turn out that way. According to sources, the girls decided that day to get some Ecstasy for the show.
The day ended in Brandy French's death.
The idea in question here is not whether or not the girls should have been doing drugs, whether Brandy's friends or the concert promoter should be being sued by Brandy's father, or even whether drugs should be legalized or made even more illegal as a result of situations like this. What's in question is whether Brandy could have lived through that day had she been properly educated about drugs before she attempted to try them.
One thing we've learned since the beginning of America's "War on Drugs" is that regardless of penalties, programs like D.A.R.E., and "Just Say No" commercials, people are going to experiment with drugs. Kids especially.
It seems that since people know that some kids are going to try drugs, adults and governments would at least educate them on how to be safe. Harm reduction is basically a system in which people are told "OK, we don't want you to do drugs, we'll arrest you if you do, and they're bad for you, but if you're going to do those drugs then here's how to say safe."
Read more of my thoughts at Dirty Greek Dot Org
In May, 2001, 16 year-old Brandy French and her friends went to an all day concert. They expected to listen to some music and have a little fun, but it didn't turn out that way. According to sources, the girls decided that day to get some Ecstasy for the show.
The day ended in Brandy French's death.
The idea in question here is not whether or not the girls should have been doing drugs, whether Brandy's friends or the concert promoter should be being sued by Brandy's father, or even whether drugs should be legalized or made even more illegal as a result of situations like this. What's in question is whether Brandy could have lived through that day had she been properly educated about drugs before she attempted to try them.
One thing we've learned since the beginning of America's "War on Drugs" is that regardless of penalties, programs like D.A.R.E., and "Just Say No" commercials, people are going to experiment with drugs. Kids especially.
It seems that since people know that some kids are going to try drugs, adults and governments would at least educate them on how to be safe. Harm reduction is basically a system in which people are told "OK, we don't want you to do drugs, we'll arrest you if you do, and they're bad for you, but if you're going to do those drugs then here's how to say safe."
For instance - Pure Ecstasy (MDMA), in normal doses, is not known to cause death through any normal means. Yes, it does have long-term effects on the brain, and that has been all but 100% proven, but it doesn't kill. If Brandy's death happened because of the pills she took, one of two things probably happened:
a) The pill was not pure MDMA. One of the most dangerous problems associated with drugs that are taken in pill form is that the user doesn't really KNOW that what he or she is taking is really Ecstasy. It could be PMA, a chemical that killed a number of Ecstasy users in the north a few months back, or DXM, which is found in some cough syrups and, in high doses, can lead to death or other health-issues, PCP, Cocaine, Ketamine, or anything other very dangerous chemical. Ecstasy testing kits are available online and in some smoke shops and the like, but most people don't know they exist or that their use is even necessary. b) Brandy and her friends did not exercise proper safety techniques. MDMA raises body temperature, speeds heart rate, and dehydrates the body. These things are only temporary problems IF the user stays cool, rests often enough, and drinks plenty of water. However, many people don't exercise these techniques either because they think that it is silly to try to be that careful while on the drug, or because, again, they don't know these risks even exist.
Why don't people know about these problems? Mostly because this idea of telling people how to be safe while taking drugs is taboo, and there are even laws in the works right now that would prevent dispelling this sort of information, yet another side-story of the "War on Drugs." If Brandy and her friends had had this information readily available, or had been told by their parents, teachers, and government that these problems existed, perhaps Brandy would still be alive today. Her father wouldn't have lost his 16 year old daughter 2 years after losing his wife and he wouldn't be suing his daughter's friends for giving her the drugs and the concert promoter for not having "proper security measures" to keep a girl from hiding 3 tiny pills in her bra.
A nation-wide if not worldwide change needs to be affected quickly in order to keep our children safe. We can't possibly stop drugs from being made, bought or sold. There is no sure-fire way to keep kids from doing drugs, and in fact not telling them specific information like this makes these drugs seem even LESS harmful than they are. School should teach kids about these things, or parents should be educated on how to talk to their kids about them. This antiquated idea of telling your kids "if you do drugs, I'll punish you, so just don't do them" obviously does not work. It never has, and it never will. Parents, teachers, and government need to take an active role in protecting these kids, and locking them up for doing drugs doesn't help either. Harm reduction is the only fair answer.
Read more of my thoughts at Dirty Greek Dot Org
