This is a grad school mini essay. Take what I say with a grain of salt or reject it completely. Up to you.
What is your opinion on schools that educate adolescence to be abstinent and that take a zero tolerance drug position?
A two part question on what are only loosely related topics. Abstinence is an unrealistic goal and sets an unrealistic president. In addition, it creates in the practitioner a buildup of sexual energy and anxiety.
Sex is not in its nature wrong. Sex is a necessary part of human existence and it was viewed as wrong in the past only because of the consequences. I do believe a man should never have sex with a woman he is unwilling to have children with and that picking someone up at a bar for a one night stand spreads diseases.
However, these actions in and of themselves cannot be made illegal and should be discouraged on the bases of what may happen and societal impact. Giving people an idea of all or nothing will simply challenge many to choose all. The teaching of abstinence promotes a social backlash and leads to greater problems than teaching and understanding of sex.
Drugs are a more complicated topic. If you define drugs as ‘anything put in the body other than food or water that makes a chemical change’ soda, juice, and punch being food, then the idea is unobtainable.
Zero tolerance toward illegal drugs is neither here nor there in nature. People may shy away from drugs because of the consequences. Keeping drugs out of schools is a good idea.
We know from behavior theories that rewarding good behavior is better than punishing bad so this idea will help few. Moreover, it is important to note that teaching students why drugs are prohibited is more important than the fact that they are prohibited.
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