I am not surprised by this at all. I am a Social Worker who started my career in a runaway shelter/drug rehab for youth. I found that during the intake process when we had to ask about drug usage, most of the Black kids had never used or heard of many of the drugs that were on the list we used. Marijuana was the only one that was used by the few that had used any substance at all. On the other hand the White and Hispanic kids had used frequently, or tried almost everything listed. I thing it comes down to exposure and resources. In almost every Black family, drug addiction has affected at least one family member and the kids have been exposed to or have been victims of the affects of drug addiction. That, coupled with the fact that lack of resources hinders their ability to obtain other, more expensive drugs. Whereas, in White families, addiction looks differently. Kids have access to more money and the addict is not in the neighborhood and in the sight of the family, neighbors and friends. It is easier to hide the addict and they have the resources to seek treatment more readily.
Georgaleen Thomas - 13 years ago
I am not surprised, education that grows in a positive understanding yeilds good fruit. I remember the negatives that came when New Jack City the movie was released. There were concerns of glamourising! that life, my feeling was look at it in its reality. Anyone in their right mind would not want a life like that.
jackie - 13 years ago
I am not surprised at the Duke study findings. But I am dismayed about the propensity of the media to portray the opposite, and for blacks to accept their preconceptions. We should do a better, more vivid and consistent, propoganda campaign to support these positive findings.
In other words, tell somebody! JET do a press release to the wire services, and the black press advising them on the information... Maybe a press release from JET on a weekly basis noting the facts as you report them: This JET update (similar to your - "Things Black People Should Know" column) would be welcomed by media outlets, like black radio.
I am not surprised by this at all. I am a Social Worker who started my career in a runaway shelter/drug rehab for youth. I found that during the intake process when we had to ask about drug usage, most of the Black kids had never used or heard of many of the drugs that were on the list we used. Marijuana was the only one that was used by the few that had used any substance at all. On the other hand the White and Hispanic kids had used frequently, or tried almost everything listed. I thing it comes down to exposure and resources. In almost every Black family, drug addiction has affected at least one family member and the kids have been exposed to or have been victims of the affects of drug addiction. That, coupled with the fact that lack of resources hinders their ability to obtain other, more expensive drugs. Whereas, in White families, addiction looks differently. Kids have access to more money and the addict is not in the neighborhood and in the sight of the family, neighbors and friends. It is easier to hide the addict and they have the resources to seek treatment more readily.
I am not surprised, education that grows in a positive understanding yeilds good fruit. I remember the negatives that came when New Jack City the movie was released. There were concerns of glamourising! that life, my feeling was look at it in its reality. Anyone in their right mind would not want a life like that.
I am not surprised at the Duke study findings. But I am dismayed about the propensity of the media to portray the opposite, and for blacks to accept their preconceptions. We should do a better, more vivid and consistent, propoganda campaign to support these positive findings.
In other words, tell somebody! JET do a press release to the wire services, and the black press advising them on the information... Maybe a press release from JET on a weekly basis noting the facts as you report them: This JET update (similar to your - "Things Black People Should Know" column) would be welcomed by media outlets, like black radio.