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From hands, cudgels, stones and axes in ancient times to swords, guns, bombs and biological agents in modern years, weapons have a long and varied history. Why do we make and use weapons? To solve problems with force.

But not all problems can be solved with force. The fact of the matter is that weapons endow their possessor with great power, but that power and control is temporary. The most lasting, effective and influential weapon that we as humans can wield is knowledge. This is why education is the best weapon in the war on drugs.

Indeed, despite all the federal and state programs and crack-downs to remove drugs from our society and streets, they remain and the demand for drugs remains high. We have yet to fully utilize the weapon that is education. The truth is that more police, more cars, and better surveillance equipment all deal with the effects of the drug problem. On the other hand, education deals with the source of the problem, and has the greatest potential to solve this massive, worldwide dilemma.

The next question to consider regarding education as the best weapon in the war on drugs is that of who to educate. The obvious answer is everyone. However, it will be a tough sell to try to educate a drug dealer about the woes of drug addiction. The dealer does not care; he is in it for the profit. He understands supply and demand and is ardently trying to be the supplier.

Instead, we need to educate against demand. Laws in place to punish users of drugs do not deal with motivations like fitting in socially or dealing with emotional issues or addiction. They simply punish a behavior. In some cases, punishing a behavior can result in that behavior being changed. But the reality is that the best way to change behavior is to teach truth.

Let's imagine a person who is in the circumstances that are statistically likely to lead to drug abuse. This person has multiple reasons to try and become addicted to drugs. Punishment for drug use is temporary and is not a sufficient deterrent. Therefore, the only reliable deterrent is the truthful knowledge that this person has that drugs will destroy his or her life. This knowledge can come from schools, ad campaigns and even friends. But the best source of this knowledge is, of course, parents.

In any case, anytime a person can go into a new situation with comprehensive knowledge about that situation, that person will be empowered to make the right choices. For example, we were mis-informed about Iraq, and we made mistakes with lasting consequences. So we need to avoid being mis-informed and we need to actively seek to inform and educate people, especially youth, about the truths regarding drugs.

Education about drugs will be far more effective than any law, threat of punishment, or imagined consequence. Teaching the facts of reduced brain function, immensely powerful addiction, and statistics about death and crime will be the ultimate weapon in this war on drugs.

Learn more about this author, Jared Garrett.
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