The Health Nut Blog

Drug abuse among teenagers has reached epidemic proportions. It Doesn't matter how on top of it you are, your teens will definitely be exposed to drugs at school, the very place you think should be a safe environment. Mrs. Reagan's 'Just say no to drugs' campaign was a complete failure. The fact is that teens view adults as old fuddy-duddies that don't know anything. Parents, try as they may, face an uphill battle in safe guarding their young ones from the devastating effects of drugs.

The battle is made tougher by the fact that most of us have prescription drugs in our medicine cabinets. When confronting the issue of teenagers and drugs, you have to give them a sound argument that distinguishes between necessary medications and illegal drugs. This isn't easy. Some well known prescription medicines are being peddaled in schools as a way to get high. Kids don't know that these prescriptions are issued in duplicate or triplicate, as a way to control the use of specific narcotics. Without having experienced a legitimate need for such drugs themselves, they may well come to the conclusion that their parents are experiencing and liking some high that they are for some reason being denied.

One more problem with educating kids on the issue of teen drug abuse is that this society does not make any distinction between drugs. Some medicinal drugs are needed, but when it comes to our youth and drugs, we say that every drug is bad. This is patently false. Some teens need specific drugs for actual problems. Used improperly, that medication can get a child high who doesn't need it. Sometimes, that drug can have disastrous consequences when used as a 'recreational' drug.

Children are not able to make those distinctions. For example, a person with unbearable pain due to arthritis or cancer, could be prescribed codeine or another opiate to manage the pain. Children don't understand that this patient doesn't get high. That med only dulls the pain. However, in the world of teenagers and drugs, this potentially dangerous drug becomes an opportunity tocatch a buzz. They don't realaize the difference.

One huge lie that encourages teenage drug use is the fable of marijuana. This street drug is posited as the first step to drug addiction, thrown in the same bag as meth and crack cocaine. The second that grade school kid tries marijuana, the child sees that even though it makes them feel good, they can hide this new habit from their parents and it doesn't make them crazy. They make the conclusion that the rest of the warnings issued on kids and drugs are lies. That's the reason why they fall into the jaws of the really dangerous drugs.

As a society, we need to teach our teens. Teach them the effects of drugs. Meth, crack, heroin and drugs like 'ecstasy' can devastate their lives or kill them. Be honest. We can defend our children.Addiction is a terrible problem in our society today but with the "proper" education we can teach our future generations the realities of addictions and drug abuse.

# posted by NeilG @ 1:11 PM