I often get an adverse reaction when I mention the student organization SSDP (Students for Sensible Drug Policy). Whether it is with a look, roll of the eyes, or an actual comment, many people seem to think the organization is pointless or rather simply a gathering of stoners. To these people I ask the question: Is our country's current view on drugs and drug policy sensible?

There is a fine line between good and bad drugs in our country. More and more the line is being crossed; leaving society confused about what is good and what is bad. Virtually everyone in this country is a member of a drug culture. How many people do you know prescribed to psychoactive drugs like Prozac, Zoloft, or Xanax? I could list dozens, not to mention the extent to which doctors are prescribing our nation's youth with drugs like Ritalin and Adderal. Parents fly off the handle at the sight of their child smoking pot, but do not hesitate to give their kids someone else's prescription drugs--Mom's Tylenol with codeine to alleviate an earache and bring on sleep.

We have taught our children that drugs prescribed are medicine and are not harmful as illegal drugs are. Through the D.A.R.E. program we have lied, created harmful stereos, and sent a mixed message to our children. We have grown up with contradictory messages, and people wonder why the program hasn't worked.

Research has found that the D.A.R.E. program provides no beneficial effect on student drug use. Dennis Rosenbaum, head of the department of criminal justice at the University of Illinois, led a six-year study on the issue. The study found no differences in students who were in the program and those who were not. For students living in the suburbs, the study found students taking part in the D.A.R.E. program had a significantly higher of drug use to those who did not take part. The program glamorizes drugs in its setup. Every child gets a free t-shirt, prizes such as bumper stickers and buttons are given out, and the program ends with a special graduation. This draws attention to the taboo activity the program is trying to deter kids from.

One of the worst offenses of the program is lumping all drugs into one category. Kids are told that all drugs are bad and, once they try them, they will become addicts. As these kids learn the truth about drugs, they learn to distrust drug education. The D.A.R.E. program took one of the most simplistic approaches it could to the drug war--stopping the problem before it starts. The reality is two patterns have emerged since D.A.R.E. has been added to the curriculum: More students now do drugs, and they start at an earlier age. $220 million goes to this program annually, with no results to account for. This sets the tune to the issue of the drug war in our country.

The request for the federal drug war budget in 2003 was $19,179,700,000. What do we have to show for this enormous expenditure of your tax dollars? Well, we have bragging rights to the largest prison system in the world, 25% of inmates being there for non-violent drug charges. Over the last 20 years, as public funding for prisons has increased, funding for higher education has been cut. In states like New York the ratio is almost dollar for dollar. Florida spends more on 56,000 prisoners than it does on 203,000 university students. From 2001 to 2003, Wisconsin has cut university spending $171 million (8.2%), while increasing corrections spending by $54 million (3.3%). Our priority has turned from education to incarceration.

This, however, is not the only way the drug war affects your education. 100,000 students have lost financial aid due to the drug war. In 1998 the Higher Education Act was revised to include a new provision that denies financial aid to students with a drug conviction. Many students on the UW Eau Claire campus have dealt with the problem of financial aid loss due to this provision. Is the refusal of education a solution to the drug war? No. This hurts many, but helps no one.

By continuing our current drug war policy, children will continue to feel confused about drugs, and many times experiment with them to find their own truths. Students will continue to lose financial aid. Many students will be forced to leave school or take time off because of finances. Our tuition will continue to increase, affecting everyone on this campus and their education. This is not the solution to drug problems in our society. We should start with telling our children the truth about drugs, instead of turning to quick fixes. The drug war hurts us all. It is irrational. Let's be sensible.