Zero tolerance causes abuse

The quote of the day comes from this Globe and Mail piece on teenage drinking. This is one effect of the "success" of the drug war. Convince the kids that marijuana is really dangerous but ignore the much more harmful effects of binge drinking. So what happens? Cannabis consumption drops slightly but alcohol abuse skyrockets.

Judith Timson offers a clear eyed view of the adolescent scene through her experiences with her own daughter. This is the money quote.

Dr. Wolfe is not a big fan of zero tolerance and neither am I. The policy results in a situation, he says, in which "there's no safe place for them to experiment." Zero tolerance doesn't teach kids to drink responsibly.

To preach zero tolerance in fact is to be in denial of reality. The only thing the kids learn is how to get away with foolish experimentation and it fosters a sense of recklessness that would be missing in a controlled and accepting environment.