“Just say no” does not work! Adolescent drug addiction is common – here is what works:
The statistics on teen drug abuse and addiction are frightening. Unfortunately, these statistics usually err on the side of conservative figures, as many teens are not willing to admit the reality and parents are often clueless. The Nancy Reagan “Just say no ‘approach does not work. The reality is that there is a fair amount of harmful substances that are readily available for children as young as eight! Middle and high school students are inundated with offers of drugs. The types of drugs are far more dangerous than the last few decades. Today, adolescent drug addiction is, unfortunately, common.
Many parents continue the “just say no” philosophy, feeling that their sage advice exhorting the child to refuse overtures of illegal and prescription drugs will do the trick. Nothing could be further from the truth. During the adolescent period, some parents can tell you that this is a replay of the terrible two’s. Your teens and pre-teens will spread their wings. Most of your advice will be taken with a ho-hum attitude, maybe even a little condescending to parents as some antique that has never seen outside of a paper bag. Why do you think your child should heed your injunctions against drug use, any more than they should agree that your fashion sense is superior?
Whether you’re a teen or a parent, a little reality check is definitely in order when confronting young people’s drug addiction problem.
Parents, do you have prescription drugs in the medicine cabinet? The answer is yes, more likely than not. While the dentist prescribed some Vicodin for the root canal with a valid reason, you have taken it for a few days, and the rest is sitting in the medicine cabinet. Pain killers are tempting to teenagers who have only heard about them – in schools. They do not know that there is a difference between using them for real pain, as opposed to just being high. Your teen may just pilfer some of those leftover pills to be able to tell their friends how cool a painkiller makes them feel. They think they have the same experience as you after your root canal. Prescription drugs are often a child’s first introduction to drugs, a precursor to adolescent drug dependence syndrome.
Having experienced the excitement of prescription drugs, teens will explore this material world for even more excitement. That is where they fall prey to real bad street drugs, like cocaine, crack cocaine, and heroin methods. Do not fool yourself into thinking that this is not a viable and logical progression. The problem is that kids throw all drugs in a single classification. The sad truth is that adolescent drug addiction begins with approved prescription drugs.
If you do not know about street drugs, do a little investigation. This advice is to both teens and parents. If you only know what ingredients go into some of the more dangerous street drugs, you would not touch them for any reason. There is a certain romanticism scattered around drugs. You know, like the avant garde and so on. Celebrities do drugs, right? Artists are notoriously druggies. Adolescent drug addiction results from a good measure of this kind of thinking.
Battery acid is not part of a normal functioning body. In fact, it is a pretty disgusting idea. Yet it is a common component of methods. Cocaine addicts are growing increasingly violent over time. Heroin users are self-described as “up and death”. Is this a romantic relationship?
The fact is that adolescent drug use leads to a very unromantic death. At the very least, the body is a wreck before it ever had a chance. You’re dealing with poison. Think about it. Parents, talk straight and do your homework. The problem is real.