In a perfect world, the only experimenting our children would do would be in chemistry class, and the only thrills they would seek would be on the high diving board at the swimming pool. But in this imperfect world, children turn to drugs – including tobacco and alcohol. Some of them die. Many others are sidetracked on the road to adulthood, sometimes permanently.

Grim statistics recently released show that more Mainers are dying in cocaine-related deaths. Others succumb to overdoses of drugs such as heroin, methadone, OxyContin and other painkillers. A new horror, methamphetamine, is making incursions here, shattering the illusion that Maine is somehow insulated from these scourges.

Families are the first line of defense in keeping Maine’s youth away from drugs, but public institutions such as schools must also play a part. Educating youth about drugs – factually, devoid of propaganda and hysteria – should look much like a science class. Without describing drugs in a manner that might make them seem attractive, such educational efforts should focus on the actual physiological effects of alcohol, marijuana, ecstasy and opiates, and perhaps include frank discussions about the relative risks associated with each.

Such an initiative should acknowledge that drug use and drug addiction are two different things. While it’s true that a one-time experiment with a substance like crack can lead to addiction, and a one-time use of heroin can kill, recreational use of some drugs – though they are illegal – sometimes ends there. U.S. presidents, and presidential candidates, have acknowledged as much. Studies on the D.A.R.E. program, in which law enforcement officers teach children in schools a zero tolerance approach, have called into question its efficacy, so a new approach may be in order.

In the past three decades, schools have been asked to combat social ills such as teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. In some cases, they’ve been asked to take on teaching parenting and employment skills. Adding drug abuse prevention education may seem like piling on an unreasonable amount of work. And as with sex education, the differing values we bring to the discussion of substance use and abuse makes arriving at a consensus approach difficult.

A set of principles for drug abuse prevention in schools developed in Australia (see redi.gov.au) suggest a framework for programs in Maine schools. Among them are: base education around what has been shown to work; include drug education within a comprehensive whole-school approach to health and well-being; promote collaborative relationships between students, staff, families and the community; use consistent policies to manage drug-related incidents; place programs within a curriculum to provide timely, developmentally appropriate drug education; use teachers to deliver programs; and provide accurate information and meaningful learning activities that dispel myths about drug use and focus on real life contexts and challenges.

Given Maine’s disheartening statistics, it is worth trying a new approach.