No D.A.R.E, Euphoria Tells the Underling Truth Adults Want to Ignore 🤬

🛑 Please Stop Here If Don’t Want to Read Explicit Language or Topics 🛑

On January 26th, the education program Drug Abuse Resistance Education, also known as D.A.R.E, made a public statement announcing their distaste for the hit HBO Max series Euphoria. As a program, D.A.R.E seeks to prevent the use of controlled drugs, membership in gangs, and violent behavior. Their target audience is children, teenagers, and young adults that are suffering from peer pressure. You should know, if you have never watched the show, Euphoria is a series chronicling the life of a girl named Rue played by former Disney

star Zendaya. She is a high schooler suffering from addiction with peers around her enduring personal issues if not the same as her. The show is told from multiple perspectives of high schoolers containing explicit words, topics, and scenes. When saying that profanity is said numerous times along with nude scenes and topics of drugs, s*x, and more. Due to the nature of the show, D.A.R.E feels the show is glamorizing drug use specifically amongst the presented demographic.

You know what I say to D.A.R.E’s public statement regarding Euphoria: You Are Full of Sh*t 🤷🏾‍♀️.

I am 23 years old and never have I ever heard of D.A.R.E from watching podcasts and listening to radio stations D.A.R.E has disappeared for years. In high school, I can testify that myself or my classmates were not as provocative or blatantly volatile as the students in Euphoria. However, I am sure there are plenty of students that commit the same actions they do in the show. YouTuber MoretoMary stated on her Instagram that she can relate to the show during her high school years. She is from Australia and makes it known the show is a direct reflection of the high schoolers in her country during and after her time. Though at my school it did not compare by much to Euphoria, some comparisons can be made. Students between the ages of 14 and 19 were cursing on a daily including myself at points in time 😕. Even before then when I was attending elementary school students were cursing on the regular. We were dropping f-bombs left and right often in front of teachers who would say something or curse themselves. Also, the usual was discussed with students smoking weed or having s*x and at times on school premises. There was teen pregnancy even one girl that was supposed to graduate during my school year having a baby in ninth grade and another in the eleventh grade. Due to my high school not being large rumors spread quickly amongst students in all grades. There are rumors students had STDs, sold weed, or had s*x with fellow students. While attending school we did not discuss the topic of drugs or s*x for curriculum because sometimes it is considered a taboo subject. Many parents, teachers, or older adults want to avoid it because they believe if discussed teenagers will then go and commit said acts. I understand to an extent, but older generations need to understand regardless of if you try to keep your child away, they will find a way to learn about it. That is more unsafe than a qualified person teaching about drugs or safe s*ex.

That is exactly what Euphoria is doing, but for younger and older adults. It teaches about addiction and relapsing which many people are unaware of. Many believe a person will become sober and stay sober forever, but that is not the case which is what we learn with Rue. The same day she leaves rehab she comes home and relapses because she was not set on staying sober. Instead, she knew from the beginning what she wanted when she came home and that was to use. While watching you can see the writer, Sam Levinson, through the scenes who was once an addict himself. The show talks about overdose and the way it can affect your family including why people often start using. Rue didn’t start using until her father passes away from cancer, but all during her childhood and teenage years before using she suffered from mental health issues. Then self-medicating is a talking point, but not as prevalent or clear because as a viewer I am unsure if Rue is suffering from a mental disorder. She shows symptoms even researching herself at one point, but she has not been

diagnosed. The thing about the show is that it explored the reasons why people start to turn to drugs. That is what D.A.R.E and school systems are avoiding 🤬. Not to mention its more to the show than drugs, but multiple serious topics such as underage s*x, abortions, loss, toxic relationships, sexuality, abandonment, and abuse. When I say abuse I mean drug abuse, sex abuse, and mental abuse. It’s a whirlwind of issues that transpires in this show for all of them to just be teenagers.

You know what? That is the point of the show because it is not glamorizing such issues, but bringing attention to it instead 👏🏾. When I watch this show and if I was still in my teenage years, I would be terrified to become one of the many characters. But, the thing is their lives are the reality of many teenagers. In school, I have witnessed teachers avoid the issues students may sustain at home. Then when you go to said teachers, you are avoided and not taken seriously. That is why Euphoria is great because you don’t see the student's school life on the regular, but their outside life the majority of the time. You see how their outside life affects their school life and helps transpire unwanted events in the said setting. The main aspect of the show I love is that no one is in clicks, and everyone gets along. In the show, you have a character named Cassie who couldn’t be any more different from Rue, but they are friends. Even though they all are f*cking crazy at certain points they are all friends and resist judging each other. The thing that triggers me the most about the D.A.R.E statement is that before each episode of Euphoria begins there is a message. More so the message is detailing the nature of the episode gives a warning that the show is precisely for mature audiences. Not to mention with season two of Euphoria recently beginning actress Zendaya warned the new season will be more explicit and triggering than the first season. I don’t understand the issue since there is a message and those behind the scenes are considerate enough to warn individuals watching the show. Even Zendaya goes on her own personal platform to warn viewers 🤷🏾‍♀️.

So, as I said before D.A.R.E is wrong and if they aren’t taking the steps to bring more attention to these particular issues, they need to SHUT THE F*CK UP 😉.

Bye D.A.R.E or as people like to say: Bye Felicia 👋🏾