A program that helps schools and universities identify and respond to drug education students may be a good fit for some states.
The Drug Education Recognition Program (DEPRP) was launched by the Drug Policy Alliance in 2016.
It helps states identify and train drug education workers who are eligible for drug education grants.
The program is administered by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
The program’s website describes it as “a national effort to increase awareness and education about the harms of drug use.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) says the program is designed to help educate students about the effects of drug abuse and drug-related crimes.”DEA believes that the DEA has a responsibility to promote drug awareness and educational initiatives that provide accurate information about the drug crisis and its impacts on communities,” a DEA press release states.
“Drug education programs are a vital part of our response to the crisis.”DEA’s press release also describes the program as an incentive program, “which is designed and operated to incentivize the training of drug education teachers.”
The DEA said it does not have authority to enforce drug education.
The DEA, however, said it can provide incentives to states that have a history of “substantial funding for drug-education programs.”
The program is a collaboration between the DEA, Drug Education Councils (DEACs), the Drug Education Working Group, the Drug Abuse Resistance Education Coalition (DARE), and the Drug War Education Center.DEA said in a press release that the program “will encourage schools to implement programs that help students and their families to develop better skills and skillsets to help them cope with drug use, prevent substance abuse, and access support services.”
The government’s response is a mixed bag.
While it has been working to promote drugs education in the past, the agency said it is not actively working to increase drug education in states.
States that have taken action on drug education, such as Connecticut, Maine, and New Jersey, have been taking steps to address drug education issues, such in the use of the drug-awareness curriculum, the DEA said.
But the DEA hasn’t made a formal recommendation on drug schools.
It’s unclear what other states might consider drug education and how to implement them, the state department of education said.