Authorities investigating death possibly linked to toxic microdosing candies

Medical toxicologist walks through what we know and don't know about the cases.

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[chaos215bar2]

I'd rather not go back to the days of DARE. Lying to kids is a bad idea, and the phrase, "Just say no," is a big part of that.

Maybe, in the case of random crap that you have no idea what is, this advice may be warranted, but even that's a totally different thing from the general, "Just say no."

The correct advice for general drug use was best said by Ze Frank: "Remember kids, don't use drugs... Well, not a lot of them anyway."

The problem with “just say no”, the silly 90s “this is your brain on drugs” ads, etc. is that they’re basically zero-information slogans that try to solve a problem by ignoring reality. People are curious by nature, and truth is that some drugs can be used safely in limited amounts for recreational purposes, just the same as alcohol. Kids (and most adults) aren’t stupid, and they’ll figure this out.

When you tell someone “just say no”, in trying to avoid a problem, you’re denying them the tools and information they need to make real, informed decisions if and when they’re put in the position of having access to whatever you’re telling them to “just say no” to.

The best answer is always education, and teaching someone how to be responsible rather than telling them to deny themselves an experience that may legitimately be safe and interesting under the right circumstances. Part of that education should absolutely be “probably don’t try things unless you know what’s in them, but if you do, be cautious, go slowly, and make absolutely sure there’s someone responsible around in case you have a bad reaction”.

 

[chaos215bar2]

If the packager cant be bothered to give clear directions and a content listing, why are trusting them to have your safety in mind?

That’s the whole point about education in all the comments above responding to “just say no”.

If you know the current regulatory framework in the US, and know a little about what safe, responsible use might look like, this product has all sorts of warning signs. If you don’t, you might reasonably assume that a chocolate bar sold over the counter with some vague usage guidelines on the package is safe enough that it isn’t going to put you in the hospital.

 

[chaos215bar2]

Isn't that exactly what said Dare campaign was on about?

Drugs are simply not for children so if someone approaches a youngster and offers them some "primo" dimoxinil, dihydrogen monoxide, brominated vegetable oil, etc., instead of trying to run through a mental list of 'I heard Y was okay but X would rot your brain,' just say nein (if in Germany).

I don’t think anyone here is suggesting kids should be doing drugs. That’s just a bad plan all around.

Probably around 5th to 7th grade, though, it’s time to move past “just say no” and be honest about the real negatives, but also that not all drugs are the same and that not everything is going to just automatically ruin your life. (The emphasis being, knowing what’s really dangerous, and what’s less dangerous.) Education should also heavily emphasize that these are still things for adults, and that even the safer drugs (cannabis, alcohol, etc.) can do serious harm when not used responsibly.

It’s a careful balance, and I think DARE and the like easily fall much to far on the side of abstinence only, but largely information free “education”. What that means is, if a kid is put in a position where the temptation is just too high to resist, they won’t necessarily have the information they need to avoid really getting themselves in trouble. A good education also carries into adulthood, and can inform decisions about responsible use, risk tolerance, and things to avoid outright.

Programs like DARE that try to scare kids away without informing them do those same kids a disservice that could come back to hurt them even as an adult.