Jeff Sessions Wants to Bring Back 'Just Say No'

At a speech in Manchester, Sessions called anti-drug campaigns of the '80s and '90s the "most effective solution."

Attorney General Jeff Sessions laid out a three-pronged approach to combatting illicit drug use today at the New Hampshire Youth Summit on Opioid Awareness.

"There are three main ways to fight back against this problem," Sessions said in his prepared remarks. "Prevention, criminal enforcement and treatment."

In contast with federal drug officials under Obama, Sessions doesn't seem too keen on treatment:

Treatment is also important, but treatment often comes too late. Individuals have already lost their jobs and flunked their tests. Then the struggle to defeat addiction can be a long process – and it can fail. Experts will tell you that recovery is not certain. For many, addiction can be a death sentence.

I have seen families spend all their savings and retirement money on treatment programs for their children—just to see these programs sometimes fail.

Ramped-up enforcement, however, is something he's much more enthusiastic about: "The President has issued an Executive Order to the Department of Justice to dismantle these organizations and gangs. We are going to get rid of them. Of that you can be sure."

Sessions also called for a revival of late 80s/early 90s anti-drug marketing, the most famous example of which is former First Lady Nancy Reagan's "Just Say No" campaign:

The most effective solution in the 1980s and early '90s—when, for example, we saw a significant decline in teen drug use—was the Prevention Campaign. People began to stop using drugs. Drug users were not cool. Crime fell dramatically, and addiction fell too.

The National Institute for Drug Abuse reported this past December—as in, three months ago—that past-year use of illicit drugs among eighth, 10th, and 12th graders "continu[es] to decline to the lowest level in the history of the survey." Meanwhile, buckets of studies have shown that Just Say No-era anti-drug programming doesn't work.

Comments

[Warren]

This is your AG on drugs.
Any questions?

[Not a True MJG]

WHY?

[some guy]

Alcohol doesn't count because reasons.

[Crusty Juggler - #2]

D.A.R.E. to say no!

[Not a True MJG]

Christ, what an asshole.

Drug users were not cool.

*turns MAGA hat backwards* Now, I think I know something about cool.

[WakaWaka]

Haha

Now that would actually be a funny SNL skit, for a change

[Juice]

Ok, cool. If we let you make a bunch of stupid commercials will you stfu about it?

[american socialist]

This is my hope

[Marty Feldman's Eyes]

Hope it happens, I need something to laugh at when I'm stoned.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Beauragard Sessions is unusually stupid and authoritarian - even for a Trumptard.

[Agammamon]

Not like 'Fast and Furious' Holder and 'We were just talking about our grandchildren' Lynch - both of who were so damned liberal when it came to the War on Drugs.

[some guy]

No one ever accused Jeff Sessions of being accurate when it comes to correlation, much less causation.

[Crusty Juggler - #2]

McGruff and a frying pan sizzling with eggs were the direct cause of what I both inhaled and put up my nose.

[Not a True MJG]

Rachael Leigh Cook certainly ignited an unhealthy addiction for me.

[Crusty Juggler - #2]

I was referring to this delicious psa and not the high-waisted jeans-wearing crazy girl psa.

[gaoxiaen]

I have a question. Where's the bacon?

[SKR]

they could have used a meth head to clean up that kitchen afterwards.

[Marty Feldman's Eyes]

Good thing I never saw this growing up or I would for sure have ended up a teenage pothead:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wI3GNufaQQU

[Crusty Juggler - #2]

Jeff Sessions always wants to encourage Americans to tie a flannel shirt around their waist, drink a tall glass of Sunny D and watch some videos on MTV.

[Half-Virtue, Half-Vice]

mhmmmm Sunny D. Pretty good, but I was more of a Caprisun kid.

[WakaWaka]

The purple stuff always intrigued me more

[mad.casual]

You grew up with a different and much less entertaining catalog of PSAs than I grew up with.

[american socialist]

Well if he just goes with marketing and after the gangs and criminals id be ok with that. Not my ideal preference but hopefully stays away from the legalized weed states

[Half-Virtue, Half-Vice]

Lights the blunt hits play on Fuck the Police.

[Ken Shultz]

If Sessions think marketing is better than law enforcement, then why shouldn't we be okay with that?

I'm not in favor of the government spending money on marketing, but "Just say no", sounds like pretty good advice to give kids.

If you don't like what you see on TV, don't turn to the government. Turn the TV off.

We call that free speech and freedom of the press.

If you don't want to do drugs, just say no. Why is that a problem? What, do you just want to invoke the Reagan demon?

Nancy Reagan: "Just say no. Muahahahaha!"

[Crusty Juggler - #2]

I'm not in favor of the government spending money on marketing, but "Just say no", sounds like pretty good advice to give kids.

buckets of studies have shown that Just Say No-era anti-drug programming doesn't work.

[Ken Shultz]

"buckets of studies have shown that Just Say No-era anti-drug programming doesn't work"

You want to explain what you mean by that?

"Just say no" is the libertarian solution to drugs.

Are you claiming otherwise?

I hope we live to see the day when the worst thing about the drug war is the money the government spends on advertising.

[gaoxiaen]

When I was in junior high school no one was interested in drugs until we had drug education.

[gaoxiaen]

Especially when we looked up euphoria, which was listed as a side-effect.

[DanO.]

Barf.

[Marty Feldman's Eyes]

If Sessions think marketing is better than law enforcement, then why shouldn't we be okay with that?

Absolutely, but Sessions being Sessions there is no way it won't be in addition to, not instead of.

[Ken Shultz]

Right, so if we libertarians don't point out the distinctions, who will?

"Just say no" is as bad as law enforcement and rehabilitation because . . . Sessions?

No, parents teaching their kids to "just say no" is an important part of the solution to kids using drugs.

[chipper me timbers]

The government taking my money and spending it on "just say no" ads is abhorrent. If you're a libertarian.

The government should not even be allowed to make PSAs or any other propoganda.

[gaoxiaen]

Short version. Government is abhorrent.

[Agammamon]

Because its not 'marketing or law enforcement', its *both*. Its always both.

So we spend tons of money on the WoD and tons more on stupid commercials.

And the libertarian opposition to 'just say no' comes from the libertarian opposition to the government deciding, in any way, what the 'proper' way to live is. Its not for them to say. Its not their place to meddle.

[gaoxiaen]

We (myself and Smith & Wesson) disagree, but don't include me in that "we".

[Snort]

The title says: "Jeff Sessions Wants to Bring Back 'Just Say No'".
So Jeff, have you ever broken any of God's commandments? Jeff: No
So you have never lied? Jeff: No
Never used the 'N' word? Jeff: No
Ever got diarrhea from smoking pot? (For real, someone told me this.) Jeff: No
Ever looked at a girly magazine? Jeff: No
Ever met with the Russians during the Tromp campaign? Jeff: No

Well, I guess Jeff really does mean "Just Say No"

[gaoxiaen]

Beauregard? Is that some kind of euphemism for gay closet Nazi?

[Zeb]

the 1980s and early '90s?when, for example, we saw a significant decline in teen drug use

I could have sworn that that time period was a high point for teen drug use. That was certainly my experience in the early to mid 90s. And what the statistics I've seen seem to indicate.

Teen drug use has declined the most in the era of presidents admitting they smoked weed and increasing social tolerance of some kinds of drug use.

[gaoxiaen]

The 90's was the peak for lying on questionnaires. "Just tell the nice man from the government about your drug use. It's totally anonymous."

[Crusty Juggler - #2]

Jeff Sessions also wants to bring back the formerly popular hip hop due "Tag Team."

Tag Team, back again, again...

[AlmightyJB]

Idiot

[Crusty Juggler - #2]

Jeff Sessions probably wanted to put Twin Peaks and Full House back on the air, too.

[Juice]

Funny enough, Twin Peaks is coming back for a new season.

[VG Zaytsev]

And Fuller House has been on for a while too.

[Crusty Juggler - #2]

Jeff Sessions wants to once again make Kelly LeBrock into a sex symbol and Steven Seagal into a box office hit.

MAKE THE 80'S POWER COUPLE GREAT AGAIN!

[Vince aut Morire]

I don't know what you did in the 80's. I certainly did not say no at anytime ever.

[Trigger Warning]

You have got to be willfully ignorant, evil, and cruel to look at 30 years of the War on Drugs and conclude that it hasn't worked due to lack of funding and LEO enthusiasm.

Sessions was a horrible pick. Just horrible. A rotten man.

[chipper me timbers]

^^^ This

[Jerryskids]

"The President has issued an Executive Order to the Department of Justice to dismantle these organizations and gangs. We are going to get rid of them. Of that you can be sure."

Victory is just around the corner!

[DesigNate]

So he wants to increase drug use in minors?

[El Oso]

Eh? Throw him to the wolves...

[neoteny]

To the squirrels. The raptor squirrels.

[GroundTruth]

Dimwit

[ernieyeball]

"Drug users were not cool."

Name this song and where it came from and win Elvis in Las Vegas on 8-track tapes!

"Boy, boy, crazy boy,
Get cool, boy!
Got a rocket in your pocket,
Keep coolly cool, boy!
Don't get hot,
'Cause man, you got
Some high times ahead.
Take it slow and Daddy-O,
You can live it up and die in bed!

*****************************************
"Boy, boy, crazy boy!
Stay loose, boy!
Breeze it, buzz it, easy does it.
Turn off the juice, boy!
Go man, go,
But not like a yo-yo schoolboy.
Just play it cool, boy,
Real cool!"
*****************************************

[Tony]

Republicans are the dumbest people on the planet.

[sarcasmic]

That's like totally deep and stuff, you know?

[Tony]

What I mean by that is, this is actually the extent of the thought they've put into drug, addiction, and criminal justice issues in three decades.

[Agammamon]

Well, you can thank Clinton and Obama for most of that then.

[Agammamon]

Well, half of it then.

[gaoxiaen]

Yeah. Obummer really sucked. Just a phone and a pen away from telling Beauregard (gay closet Nazi name) to STFU.

[Agammamon]

Then the struggle to defeat addiction can be a long process ? and it can fail. Experts will tell you that recovery is not certain. For many, addiction can be a death sentence.

You're absolutely right Jeff. Best just let them rot in jail then.

Drugs will ruin your lives, kids. The government will make sure of it.

[Troy muy grande boner]

This cocksucker Sessions isn't going to do much. Sure there might be a a high profile raid or two. But even this stupid pricks know that yeah, sure, he can shut down the legal and medical dispensaries. But even this evil fuckstain know that he won't be able to deal with the black market response should he shut down the dispensaries. That weed cat is out of the bag.

Trump is doing nothing less that taking on the deep state. Session will have his hands full with immigration and watching Trumps back for impeachment. And if this Wiretapping circus is even 1/2 way right, Sessions could a lot of his time on that shit.

In a word, he has too many fish to fry and and not enough gas.

And yes, he is Trump's worse pick.

[gaoxiaen]

NEEDZ MOAR CHOLESTEROL.

[EWM]

First I want him to try "Prevention, criminal enforcement and treatment." on those in "law enforcement" who are addicted to stealing my money.

[steve walsh]

I accept that he honestly believes what he says. Thus he is either ignorant of the facts (of the ineffectiveness of the programs) or a sort of moral preener, or both.

If only our system had a mechanism for thwarting implementation of his retarded ideas.

[Jake Stone]

"The President has issued an Executive Order to the Department of Justice to dismantle these organizations and gangs. We are going to get rid of them. Of that you can be sure."

OK Chief.... Talk to me when these 4 years are up and tell me how that worked out for ya.

Why are these fools still stupid/arrogant enough to believe that they can do anything whatsoever about free peoples' desire to do what they want with their bodies/minds? The "not learning from history" thing is a cliche, but it's easy to see where it came from.