By: Mark A. R. Kleiman, Jonathan P. Caulkin and
Angela Hawken
Published: The Wall Street Journal; April 20,
2012,
Level: **WATCH, LISTEN AND CONSIDER
Rethinking the war on drugs http://www.wsj.com/video/rethinking-the-war-on-drugs/FD9C7C42-852E-48CE-8099-D99D5B401571.html
BEFORE YOU READ
1.
What
are the consequences of drug abuse for individuals and society?
2.
What
measures are taken currently to combat the problem?
3.
How
effective are the above measures?
4.
Are
there any other measures you would suggest?
QUESTIONS
1.
What
two approaches to drug abuse is the writer critical of?
2.
The
reason why the writer is critical of current practices is that
………………………………………..
3.
What
misconception does the writer mention about drug users?
4.
The
push for legalization came as a reaction to ………………………………………………………………….
5.
What
is the downside of legalization?
6.
What
lesson should we learn from the legalization of alcohol?
7.
What
would the advantage be of tripling the current alcohol tax?
8.
What
exactly is 24/7 Sobriety? Who does it target and how successful has the measure
been?
9.
How
would showing an ID to buy a drink help address the problem?
10.
How
would the above suggestion help curb drug abuse – which is after all illegal at
the present time?
11.
Read
the stories of Steven Alm, Leighton Ile’s Swift program and the story of the
pilot efforts in Seattle. What conclusion can we draw from these stories?
12.
What
is the purpose of David Kennedy’s first program and how successful has it been?
13.
What
exactly is The Boston Ceasefire Program and how successful has it been?
14.
Read
the last paragraph of the text and state clearly what qualities of a concluding
program it has.
WRITING TASK: PROBLEM SOLUTION ESSAY
Use the
suggestions put forward in the text and any others you may think of to write
problem solution essay concerning how to curb drug abuse. The suggestions in
the text are as follows:
1.
Showing
an ID to buy drugs
2.
Showing
up twice a day for testing
3.
The
Kennedy program
4.
The
Boston Ceasefire Program
KEY AND TEACHER’S NOTES
This activity is reasonably straightforward and could be covered quite
early on. Alternatively, it could be considered a prelude to writing and
covered quickly with plenty of discussion and accompanying videos. In either
case, it comes up with completely novel solutions to rather a hackneyed topic,
which will make it fly in class.
1.
The
drug war; wholesale drug legalization.
2.
It
flies in the face of Pareto’s law (that for any given activity…)
3.
Most
are not addicts but a few consume heavily.
4.
The
horrific levels of trafficking related violence…
5.
The
law would have to include not just possession of drugs but their production as
well and not just of marijuana…
6.
It
would worsen the problem of drug abuse (The answer is repeated with different
wording)
7.
It
would prevent at least 1000 homicides and 2000 motor vehicle fatalities a year.
8.
People
who commit alcohol related crimes show up twice a day, every day for a
breathalyzer test; that small group of people who behave very badly when they
drink; successful.
9.
The
state could make someone convicted of drunken driving or drunken assault
ineligible to buy a drink just by marking his driver’s license.
10.
It
would constitute a swift, moderate penalty for detected drug use.
11.
Swift
and certain actions make all the difference.
12.
To
force dealing into a less flagrant and socially damaging form; very successful
13.
Violent
youth gangs engaged in drug dealing and other crimes are brought in and told
“If anyone in your gang…”
14.
It
goes beyond the text, summarizes and draws conclusions.
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