The Question Of Teenagers And Drug Abuse Must Have Our Adamant Attention
Drug use among teenagers has reached epidemic proportions. No matter how vigilant you are, your teenagers are going to 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 fell flat on its face. The truth is that teens perceive adults as old fuddy-duddies that don’t know their head from a hole in the ground. Adults, try as they may, face an uphill war in safe guarding their kids from the devastating effects of drugs.
The challenge is made more difficult by the fact that most of us have prescription drugs in our cupboards. When confronting the issue of teens and drugs, you have to give them a rational argument that differentiates between necessary prescriptions and illegal drugs. This isn’t easy. Some common prescription medications are being sold at school as a way to get high. Teens don’t know 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 such drugs themselves, they may well come to the conclusion that their parents are experiencing and liking some buzz that they are somehow being denied.
One more problem with teaching kids about the issue of teen drug abuse is that this society does not make any distinction between drugs. Some medicinal drugs have a place, but when it comes to teenagers and drugs, we say that every drug is bad. This is patently false. Some children require specific drugs for a legitimate condition. Not used correctly, that medication can get a kid 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 extreme pain because of 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 pain killer 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 know the difference.
One major lie that encourages teenage drug abuse is the fable of pot. This street drug is posited as the first step to drug addiction, thrown in the same bag as heroin and ice. The second that high school kid tries pot, the kid sees that although 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 deceptions. That’s the reason why they step into the grip of the truly dangerous drugs.
As a nation, we need to teach our children. Teach them the effects of drugs. Ice, crack, heroin and drugs like ‘ecstasy’ can ruin their lives or kill them. Tell the truth. We can protect our children.Addiction is a serious problem in our society today but with the “proper” education we can teach our future generations the realities of addictions and drug abuse.
Tags: teen drug abuse, Health & Fitness, drug education, drug addictionRelated Articles
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