No, they're not. They can be but they don't have to be.
But keeping drugs away from kids (a good thing) was being mixed up with a general anti-drugs message which I didn't like and which may prove counterproductive in the same way the extreme view put around in the US about no sex before marriage just didn't work.
There was a case in the UK a few years ago of a man who allowed his kids and their mates to smoke weed in his house. His reasoning was that they wee going to do it anyway so he'd prefer to have it happen somewhere safe and where he could monitor it. The judge didn't look kindly on that I recall. I'm really not sure where I stand on that either.
[0] Not in my case I add, the kids around me were getting pissed, smoking, smoking mj, trying other stuff, I didn't.
Of greater import, if you have something to say about my post, disagreement included of course, I'm happy to listen.
You're comment was already downvoted before I saw it, by the way.
When people do identify themselves here it's almost always some relevant context. The move to hiding vote totals probably helped, too.
“Why not orchestrate a social movement around natural highs: around people getting high on their own brain chemistry—because it seems obvious to me that people want to change their consciousness—without the deleterious effects of drugs?”
If you want an answer to why not, because drugs are not intrinsically bad and can give you more than a life without drugs IMO. Or they can destroy you, I grant.
“We learned through the studies that we need to create circumstances in which kids can lead healthy lives, and they do not need to use substances, because life is fun, and they have plenty to do—and they are supported by parents who will spend time with them.”
'Because they have plenty to do' Hmm - I did spend part of my childhood on some crappy estates and there wasn't things to do, and no money to do it. And you didn't much want to go outside because it didn't feel safe. It wasn't. 'and they are supported by parents' - another presupposition that parents are good and nurturing. Not always. Perhaps in a rich and wise society you can mostly make this possible though.
I like their way of trying to take the pressure off kids so as to reduce the "rat park" effect (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat_Park) and I think it's great. Kids don't develop properly in a pressure cooker. Overall, they're doing the right thing. Just don't overdo it.