https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/07/12/a-brief-history-of-d-a-r-e-the-anti-drug-program-jeff-sessions-wants-to-revive/?utm_term=.92858051306e
This gives me an opportunity to explain how a government subsidy program for cops, in the 1980s it was called DARE, came to my school and totally missed the mark in convincing us that "drugs are bad, mkay!"
One visit was with the junior class in like 1985 or something. The DARE cop showed us 500 or so upper middle class students at a metro DC fancy pants school a video on the dangers of PCP use. The movie was probably 40 minutes long, produced in the early 1970s given the hairdos and fashion choices of the people in the film, and concentrated on biker trafficking of PCP. The video was complete with some people doing crazy shit under the influence of PCP. My peers and I thought it was hilarious for a couple of reasons. First, we weren't into PCP, but instead preferred good ol weed and other hallucinogens like LSD and shrooms. Second, the video underscored that the cops just lump all drug users into the same group. Midway through the video, that DARE cop got pissed, shut the movie off, and yelled at us. He totally lost his cool and started pointing out individual students and said things like "if you think this video is funny, don't call me when you overdose on PCP.."
On a return trip to our school during my senior year, this time the DARE cop brought in a youth speaker and it was a general student assembly. The speaker was a 22-year old former cocaine addict. He had gone to the U. of Maryland where he quickly described the changes in his life after he became "the man." So he had some super duper hookup and was supplying the frat kids with all kinds of powder for several years. He reported how he got laid every night, his apartment was posh and there was a party in it every night, and how he went to a car dealership and bought a Honda Prelude (killer car back then) for cash. Shit we thought the guy was cool! He wasn't particularly good looking, but he reported that he slept with upwards of 100 Maryland coeds. His testimonial did nothing to sway us, even when he got to the end of his story and had wrecked his Honda, and got caught with several pounds of coke--and the DARE service and speaking was part of his plea deal.
And so Jeff Secessions wants to bring this shit back.
