Harm minimisation: just say no

Sydney Morning Herald, 19 June 2008
Three weeks ago, on May 27, Tony and Angela Wood went to a Chinese restaurant to mark what would have been their daughter Anna's 28th birthday, had she lived. As they do each year, they ordered her favourite meal, Peking duck, and remembered the 15-year-old girl who died in 1995 after taking ecstasy for the first time. But while her parents have been touring schools and spreading the message that illegal drug use is never safe, Anna Wood was being co-opted without their permission as a poster girl of the drug harm-minimisation lobby, which has shaped debate about drug use in Australia for 25 years - but is losing credibility as contrary evidence piles up. more...

The messages received by our young people in relation to drug use are not simply "yes" or "no". There is a line of thought that says our young people will likely experiment with drugs so let's keep the impact to a minimum. The article helps us understand this line of thinking - something which is useful if we are to counter it in the minds of our young people.