 Tuesday, May 5, 2026 | | |
| | | | | BY MEG WINGERTER If you grew up in the '90s, you probably remember local cops coming to school to teach D.A.R.E. and actress Rachael Leigh Cook smashing up a kitchen to illustrate why you shouldn't do heroin. Since then, the evidence has mounted that scare tactics aren't especially effective in changing behavior, and some schools are giving more comprehensive lessons, including how to revive someone from an overdose with naloxone. But what kids learn still varies significantly from district to district in Colorado. Check out my colleague Tiney Riccardi's three-part series on today's drug education for more. | | | | As drugs like cannabis and psychedelics have become culturally acceptable and legally accessible, schools have had to rethink how they teach students about them. | | | | | Discussions about naloxone are becoming more commonplace in Colorado classrooms, as teachers seek to educate students amid drug reform and an ongoing fentanyl crisis. | | | | | Instead of relying exclusively on abstinence-only models, many schools these days try to help students by investing in their mental health and connecting them with services. | | | | | Community-based organizations play a critical role in filling the gaps of Colorado’s school drug education, especially as psychedelics have become more prevalent. | | | | | How do you talk to kids about drugs when you can’t tell them to ‘just say no’? | | | | | The majority of abortions in the U.S. are obtained through medications. | | | |
