The Question Of Teens And Drug Abuse Needs Our Utmost Attention
Drug abuse among teenagers has reached tragic levels. It Doesn’t matter how vigilant you are, your teens are going to be introduced to drugs at school, the very place you believe to be a safe environment. Mrs. Reagan’s ‘Just say no to drugs’ campaign was a complete failure. The fact is that teenagers perceive adults as old stupid people that don’t know their head from a hole in the ground. Adults, try as they may, face a bitter war in protecting their young ones from the ravaging effects of drugs.
The battle is made tougher by the fact that most of us have prescription medications in our bedroom drawers. When confronting the issue of teenagers and drugs, you have to present a sound argument that differentiates between necessary medications and illegal drugs. This isn’t easy. Some well known prescription medicines are being sold at school as a way to catch a buzz. Teens don’t realize that these prescriptions are issued in duplicate or triplicate, as a method to control the use of certain narcotics. Not having experienced a real need for these drugs themselves, they could well conclude that their parents are enjoying some buzz that they are for some reason being denied.
One more problem with educating kids on the issue of teen drug use is that this society does not differentiate between drugs. Some medicinal drugs have a place, but when it comes to our youth and drugs, we say that every drug is bad. This is incorrect. Some teenagers need prescription medication for actual problems. Used improperly, that medication can get a teen high who doesn’t need it. Sometimes, that medication can have disastrous consequences when taken as a ‘recreational’ drug.
Children are not able to make those distinctions. For example, a patient with unbearable pain because of arthritis or cancer, could be prescribed codeine or another opiate to manage the pain. Kids don’t comprehend that this person doesn’t get high. That medication only eases the pain. However, in the world of teenagers and drugs, this potentially dangerous drug becomes an opportunity toget high. They don’t know the difference.
One major lie that encourages teen drug use is the fable of marijuana. This street drug is made out to be the first step to drug addiction, thrown in the same category as meth and crack cocaine. The second that grade school child tries pot, the kid sees that although it gets them high and they like it, they can hide this new habit from their parents and it doesn’t make them crazy. They conclude that the rest of the warnings issued on kids and drugs are lies. That’s the reason why they step into the trap of the really dangerous drugs.
As a world village, we need to educate our children. Teach them the effects of drugs. Ice, crack, heroin and drugs like ‘ecstasy’ can devastate their lives or kill them. Tell the truth. We can defend our teens.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.
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
Tagged with: drug addiction • drug education • teen drug abuse
Filed under: Disease
Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!
Leave a Reply