College of
Business
Administration
College of
Business
Administration
GROUP MEMBERS:Shala AmbilEXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Jason OverellPresently, our society is consumed over the issue of substance abuse. It is an issue that effects all of us in one way or another. Some people are directly effected due to the fact they are users of narcotics and other harmful substances. Others are effected indirectly by policies that put regulations on society to maintain the common good. Either way, substance abuse is a very real problem that must be addressed to not only adults, but especially the youth of today. Our project focused on addressing this concern.
My team member and I came up with the idea of taking this message to a local school to make them more aware of the dangers associated with substance abuse. Originally our project was going to focus only on the dangers of smoking cigarettes. But after discussing the situation, we decided that focusing on the big picture would be more beneficial than just limiting the project to one problem.
Our goal was to convey this message, to a group of students, about the dangers of substance abuse while at the same time giving them the opportunity to have fun and be creative. The project would include a special achievement award donated by McDonaldŐs acknowledging their accomplishment regarding this very important issue.
After the parameters had been developed, the decision on where to carry out the project took place. We decided that a local elementary school would probably be the most practical venue for our project. The school we chose was Hardy Elementary located off of Montezuma road. Upon inquiring about the possibility of performing our project we were informed by the school secretary that there was already a program in progress that dealt with these issues. The DARE program was already being used in the classroom for fifth grade students, which just happened to be our target grade. We were told to contact the schools DARE officer, Peggy Anderson, to find out if we could coordinate our project into one of her weekly lessons. Upon contacting officer Anderson, she informed us that it would not be a good idea to talk to the children regarding this issue because we did not have the proper background or qualifications required to do such teaching on substance abuse. Although, she did endorse our creative project, and told us to sit in on one of her classes, and after inform the kids about the assignment.
The plan was implemented on Thursday, April 17, in Mr. Bob NiehausŐs fifth grade class. The assignment was given to the children to be creative, with the option to paint, draw, or write why they thought the DARE program was important to their lives. They were not informed of what specifically the reward would be, but only told they would be given a special reward upon completion of the project. When we came back to hand out awards, the results of our project were a bit surprising. Out of 31 students only 15 completed the project. This is interesting because it raises some serious questions about the effectiveness of the DARE program. We were definitely shocked by the results of our effort.
We evaluated our project against many ethical frameworks and came up with the following conclusions. Regarding deontology, since right and wrong is as clear as black and white, it is obviously wrong for anybody to use drugs due to the facts that it harms the body and it is against the law. For these reasons people should not use drugs. The utilitarian view is an ethical theory that holds that an action is right if it produces or tends to produce the greatest amount of good for the greatest number of people. Preventing the use of illegal drugs and alcohol in both the short and long run follows this ethos. There are many innocent children that die every year due to the lack of education about drugs.
Justice theory consists of giving each person his/her due treating. Equals equally and unequals unequally. According to John Rawls, you shouldnŐt take action that makes the least advantaged members of society worse off than they already are. The children in this case are the least advantaged members of society. With out this type of program, kids may find it easier to experiment with substances, which may lead to greater problems as time goes on. So by informing them about the consequences of various drugs it will make the children more informed to make the right decision and say no to drugs.
Relational accounts of moral reasoning asks us to recognize and take seriously the moral worth of relationships. By using drugs and alcohol a person is no longer taking seriously the moral worth of a caring relationship. Land ethic states that a thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. The chemicals needed to produce these drugs and the byproducts they create should not be poured down drains or sewer lines that lead to resources such as the ocean. Finally virtue theory focuses on achieving our personal ethical ideal. In other words, itŐs a matter of who we are and not what we do. By teaching the children that you donŐt have to take drugs or drink alcohol just to fit in, a valuable lesson is being taught. People should like you for who you are and not what you do. By eliminating or lessening the peer pressure aspect of drug use it should help in preventing it.
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