What it is and what it
is not priority

The Zero Hora newspaper, in June 1st of this year, published a provocative article authored by Professor Marilise Escobar Burger, Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul and responsible, among others, for the discipline of Drug Abuse at the graduation programs in Pharmacology and Toxicology Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria-RS, which she is also the advisor at masters and doctoral.

In the article, she revealed her surprise about the hype and emphasis on the issue of homophobia, which appeared suddenly in the eyes of those who govern the country, our large and unique problem.

The article points out, quite rightly, there are more serious and urgent problems that the Brazilian authorities seem to ignore.

Here are some of the considerations made by the teacher:

"Alcoholic beverages are initiated at age 13, going out and party, degrading the scene of young drunk, fallen, uploaded by others, the future of a country drowning and numb. Young people use drugs as if it were allowed in the name of a law which decriminalizing the user. But what is this? Drunk young people are dying on the roads, and killing as well. The material 'educational' anti-homophobia has cost more than $ 1 million to the coffers! How much is invested in educational material about the harm of alcohol? How to deal with drugs? I am not speaking only of crack, cocaine or oxy (all derived from the coca, but few know that.) I speak also of marijuana, which discourages young and can induce psychotic symptoms. I'm talking about Ritalin, which escapes from the hands of health professionals, college preparatory courses encroaching on the pretext of so required concentration. Yet, no study has proven the benefits of learning with the amphetamine! Yes, Ritalin is an amphetamine as ecstasy, and can cause dependence, but few people know that. But what happens anyway? Our elected officials are concerned about homophobia? "

It is clear that neither she nor we wish to diminish the importance of prejudice existing with respect to unions’ homosexuals. It is not possible, however, to ignore the seriousness of drugs and their detrimental effects on young people and their well-known influence on the issue of violence associated to drugs.

"If we go out at night – the teacher writes - we see young people using drugs on sidewalks in the courtyard of the schools, it seems that is allowed. We have seen this cabin, outraged by the lack of discretion of the parliament; drugs and alcohol are knocking at our door like a ghost, and once the ball is homophobia. Why are not the effects of alcohol and drugs in textbooks? For students studying botany, human physiology, chemistry, physics ... but do not study the action of drugs in the body? If the situation is on the brink of chaos, it is because they simply do not know what to do. If the textbooks address the effects of drugs in a simple and clear way, how many young people would avoid such a situation? If the anti-homophobia educational material was developed in order to 'educate to prevent'; why was not it thought to avoid the abyss of drugs?" 

* 

The questions presented in the article in question not only deserve a verbal response on the part of governments, but particularly resolute actions that can contribute to so many lives will not be lost as a result of something that can, through education and prevention, be perfectly solved.

The colleague J. Raul Teixeira, referring to the subject and the preposterous idea of decriminalization of use of drug, has appeared recently: "All the arguments presented by advocates of decriminalization of all drugs are fake, sophistries and opportunists. The big moral move would be the engagement of people of good will to encourage the serious and well-monitored process of education, which would need early in the home, where, unfortunately, tends to begin the use of more diverse drugs, considering the vices of innocent fathers, mothers and other family members who smoke and drink alcohol with plenty of children and sometimes giving them or allowing them the 'drinks' which, naive at first, eventually sidetracked the creature feature installation of the addiction." (The interview with Raul Teixeira, which underscored the excerpt above, can be seen in issue 227 of this magazine.
Here's the link: http://www.oconsolador.com.br/ano5/227/raulteixeiraresponde.html.)