Yesterday seemed to be a day (for me) of being bombarded with drug related topics, reports and conversations.
As I was driving back from dropping the kids at school I heard a report that said only 50% of parents talk to their children about illegal drugs and only 30% talk to them about prescription drugs. I didn’t know where they were going with the prescription drugs but the report carried on saying that a new trend was growing within children, teens and young adults and the usage of prescription drugs.
According to the study and the report children, teens and young adults are finding that these prescription drugs are easy to come by either at home or at friend’s homes. Also, they are inexpensive because they aren’t paying the prescription price….the parents are. In an effort to trick parents they are finding that ‘mixing’ the drugs and making home-made cocktails gives them a better high and allows them access without it being obvious that medication is missing. These cocktails are proving to be deadly in some cases and highly addictive.
After that report and a few others I heard during the day I was at the gym working out and whilst doing so I like to watch TV (it keeps my mind off what I’m actually doing). I watched a show many of us are familiar with called ‘INTERVENTION’ and my heart was ripped out of my chest through the story of this young boy who started smoking marijuana at 12 and then moving onto harder, heavier stuff as he became inoculated to the ‘lighter’ drugs.
This boy was destroyed and his family in ruins. During the documentary he repeated how he needed it to dull the pain of life. He had been hurt as a child through divorce and other circumstances and to protect himself and hide he turned to drugs ~ he felt safe there and didn’t even care if it killed him. Very, very sad!
I tell you this today because we hear about the war on drugs on television, the newspaper, the Internet, through friends, etc. And one thing we hear through the people affected is that they never thought it would happen to them. I urge you today, be open with your children, whatever age they are and know that you MUST protect them. In doing so it will mean that at times you will be very unpopular with those in your care. Remember good parenting ISN’T about a popularity contest and we must not be afraid to do what’s right when it comes to thier lives. Love you children, communicate with them, be open and honest and don’t be afraid to show them what drugs CAN and WILL do to them.
This is a war, it is real and sadly the opportunities to engage aren’t far from our front doors. Be aware of your children’s friends, watch for changes in routine, personality, food intake and sleeping habits. These can all be signs that something is happening.
We believe in you and hope that this will alert you to the dangers that surround our children. Love them, protect them and remember we’ve been given two ears and one mouth for a reason…….Listen to them and be available.
Susan J Sohn
(for more familyroom discussion on drug related issues see our recent podcasts)
9 comments:
Wow what a good article. Scares you doesn't it. We talk openly in our home about all issues kids face these days. We are raising our kids in such a new age. Thanks for the reminder about how alert or as you say aware we need to be.
Heather
Talk about an eye opener. This 'war on drugs' is a scary thing. We worry about terrorism and other things but there is an all out attack happening in our backyards, our school and our streets. Truly this makes me sick and mad as hell!
Well done for bringing the real issues our way.
This is a great message Susan - thanks for the wise and timely advice! As the mother of a 12-year-old boy, I was moved to read about the plight of the child in your blog.
Drugs have recently been a huge topic of discussion in our family thanks to the Australian government's booklet Talking with your kids about drugs which was sent out to every household in Australia. It's very informative and became a good conversation starter. If anyone hasn't already seen it, you can download a copy at this address:
http://www.drugs.health.gov.au/
internet/drugs/publishing.nsf/
Content/resources-for-parents.
Deborah
This is such a huge concern for parents today. We often speak to our children about how drugs can ruin a life. Our kids are only 9 and 7 but we have actually role played with them about how to say "no". Talk to them as much as possible, don't be scared to talk about the hard stuff.
Sam
Yes Susan this ia a great article. We live in times now that require us to talk about Drugs etc with our young kids, but if we don't they may suffer with as they have no understanding of what is happening around them. Keep up the great work.
Bea
Hey susan,
I hope that people are already communicating with their children and this doesn't come along for any of our kids.
My children are older now but one caution is to always have the drugs in a location where casual, innocent "snooping" on their part cannot net them a gargantic stash of meds. A cupboard up high or even a locked cupboard is not out of the question.
It doesn't mean you don't trust them, it simply means you love them too much to take any chances with their lives. As they get older, constant communication ensures that they can talk to you and you can broach these topics.
Maybe my kids have spoiled their mom and I but I also think that good parenting has gone a long way toward making them as responsible as they are. Good parenting isn't easy, but in the end it's easier than bad parenting.
Rob
Rob,
Thanks for your comment. Good ideas. So glad your children have stayed on the straight and narrow. I love 'tips' from people who have gone ahead/before and who have seen success and failure at times and those who aren't afraid to share wisdom.
Thanks again, hope to hear from you more often.
Susan
We live in an age where it seems that so many people are on prescription drugs, whether that be parents, siblings, grandparents... Today's drug cabinets are yesterday's liquor cabinets. I agree with Rob, we must guard the stash, and never assume that our kids won't be tempted to just "try" some.
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