Drugs use in the young. How can I help teenagers say no to drugs?

[shihuiz87]

How do nowadays youth and teenagers kick off drug abuse and refrain away from drugs? How can I help teenagers to say no to drugs? What are the impacts of drugs physically and mentally?

[robin_himself]

What is your motivation on "saving the world's youth from drugs"? Get specific... what drugs are you talking about? In swims opinion drugs are a choice every human makes in his life.... the only thing that should be done is give propar education about it... but nobody should say "don't use that! and don't use this!" Drugs have opened up swims mind and shown him things he couldn't imagine experiencing any other way... it is a major plus.

Educate

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Couldn't have put it better.

[kailing]

They can ask for help as nowaday, the society have organization which help them to kick the habit.
You can tell the teenagers about the disadvantages of comsuming drugs and this may help them to refrain away from drugs.
People who consuming drugs unable to control themselves and maybe they would regret of what they did when they gain their concious.

[robin_himself]

Originally Posted by kailing

They can ask for help as nowaday, the society have organization which help them to kick the habit.
You can tell the teenagers about the disadvantages of comsuming drugs and this may help them to refrain away from drugs.
People who consuming drugs unable to control themselves and maybe they would regret of what they did when they gain their concious.

But the point is that alot of people only tell the "disadvantages". There are always two sides to a coin... so the positive side of drugs must be noted just as well as the "bad" side. If one knows everything there is to know about a subject he can make a healty decision to refrain or to indulge into the realm of drugs.

[sunny]

I agree to what what robin says, some people do know drugs can lead you to addiction but they still play with it. But some people stay away from it. It's best that they know what they are dealing with.

[hh339]

Originally Posted by shihuiz87

How do nowadays youth and teenagers kick off drug abuse and refrain away from drugs? How can I help teenagers to say no to drugs? What are the impacts of drugs physically and mentally?

@shihuiz87: What do you consider to be a drug? A drug consists of molecules. All drugs are molecules, but all molecules are not drugs, you can not help people to say no to molecules, as that would mean abstaining from food, vitamins, air, water...you get the picture. All molecules have different properties, and some are more or less addictive, but there are positive and negative effects that all need to be considered before jumping to any conclusions. Was there any particular substances you were thinking of, or were you asking a whole forum full of people with psycho-active molecules as their main interest how to keep people away from all of them?

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Well painted.

[The Doors]

Originally Posted by shihuiz87

How do nowadays youth and teenagers kick off drug abuse and refrain away from drugs? How can I help teenagers to say no to drugs? What are the impacts of drugs physically and mentally?

Why should we tell people to stay away from drugs? It's only going to make them want to try it. Altering the conscience mind is not something that only comes as a drug. Everyone has spinned around untill they got really dizzy before, that is most likely the first effect of someone altering their conscience mind that everyone first experienced as a child.

It is a much safer and proper approach to give the people the right to proper knowledge on the drugs one will decide to do. Knowing a proper dosage and being able to prepare yourself according to the type of experience you will want to have, it is very important to put the odds in your favour of having a good experience.

Why tell lies to people only for them to realize our governments are just so full of shit...

Reputation Comments on this post:

great awnser.... One must always give this message to the world. Thank you

[Police Officer]

Peer pressure. Without question, peer pressure. If you are a parent, remember that you have the right to do alot of things. You can restrict everything from friends, to time spent out of the house, to time spent out of your presence. Just would have to depend on the problem at hand, and the amount of time and sweat that you are willing to put into it. A 14 year old has dozens of friends, and only 2 parents. Remember to be a parent, and not a friend.

[robin_himself]

Originally Posted by Police Officer

Peer pressure. Without question, peer pressure. If you are a parent, remember that you have the right to do alot of things. You can restrict everything from friends, to time spent out of the house, to time spent out of your presence. Just would have to depend on the problem at hand, and the amount of time and sweat that you are willing to put into it. A 14 year old has dozens of friends, and only 2 parents. Remember to be a parent, and not a friend.

Oh... I really really don't agree with this 16 century approach. Don't strive to be a gestappo parent, strive for the better world... a world which where "understanding" is number one. A kid doesn't want to remember "my dad always pressured me into staying away from drugs"

he is better off with "my dad thought me about the dangers of drugs but also explained to me why alot of people are taking them, and whith this knowleadge i made my own decision of (not) taking drugs"

pressuring people just leads to temptation and rebelion. The kid has only seen one side of the story which is clearly WRONG! Cause we all know that even though drugs are illegal... they are not demons!!

[Alfa]

I think that depends upon person and situation. Robin's approach seems best in most situations, but sure as hell don't count out pressure. In Dutch we have a saying: 'weak healers make stinking wounds'.

[Bajeda]

Teach kids the full truth about drugs. Tell them the negatives yes, but also tell them the benefits and positives. Tell them how drugs have been present through history and try to explain the various impacts they have had.

The more information they have the less likely they are to disrespect a drug and dangerously abuse it.

The current methods used in US education to fight drugs are most likely harming people more than helping them. Kids try certain drugs and find they are nothing like they were told, so they just assume the government lied about everything. This is dangerous thinking.

Knowledge is power, and while it is possible that more kids will do drugs if given all the information accurately (though there is no evidence to verify this) at least they will know what they are getting involved with.

[SkariMari]

I don't believe that you can stop someone from experimenting with dope if they are so inclined. Furthermore, the harder you try to stop them, the more likely they are to do it just to see what all the fuss is about.

From the time my kids were able to understand (and also likely to be exposed to it at school), I've tried my best to foster open and honest discussions on dope, the hazards and the temptations. I've shared my opinions and certain experiences (obviously not all experiences!) and encouraged my kids to keep their eyes and minds open and form their own opinions. It seems to be a good approach in our family so far. My 18 yr old doesn't do dope (to my knowledge) but she is comfortable talking about her experiences and concerns with me. What more can I hope for?

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awesome

[boy162000]

Originally Posted by SkariMari

I don't believe that you can stop someone from experimenting with dope if they are so inclined. Furthermore, the harder you try to stop them, the more likely they are to do it just to see what all the fuss is about.

From the time my kids were able to understand (and also likely to be exposed to it at school), I've tried my best to foster open and honest discussions on dope, the hazards and the temptations. I've shared my opinions and certain experiences (obviously not all experiences!) and encouraged my kids to keep their eyes and minds open and form their own opinions. It seems to be a good approach in our family so far. My 18 yr old doesn't do dope (to my knowledge) but she is comfortable talking about her experiences and concerns with me. What more can I hope for?

This is admirable. It's also similar to what my parents did with me. They told me of the dangers associated with substances and they were, with the exception of MDMA, fairly accurate. They never censored anything I read or watched on TV, and they never told me anyone was "wrong." All they said to me was that their experience had been "X" and that mine might be similar, but that it did not have to be. I was also raised in Canada (Ottawa). To date, I inform my parents of all of the experiences I've had and the one's that SWIM currently has. They are sometimes dissapproving, sometimes confrontational, but only out of concern. As a result, I believe, I did not try anything until I got out of high school. I never so much as sipped a beer, or looked at a cigarette or anything else. That was, however, my own choice and, had I had lots of opportunity, it might have been different.

Now I'm older and I have plenty of younger people ask me about things and I give them the information, the precautions, the interractions, and the social and legal ramifications. I never, however, talk dogmatically and I let them know that if they need a tripsitter or something that I'm willing to do that for them no problem.

I will never get (or make) a substance for anyone, but I feel it is my social responsobility to make sure they're safe if they're going to do it just like if I was in a bar and someone didn't have a ride home, I take them home (even if I have no clue who they are) because I cannot, in good conscience, let them drive. It's the same reason I teach sex education classes in an area where abstinence only sex education is the norm. They're going to do it, they just need to know how to do it in a more safe manner and for the right reasons. When people are young and someone acts like their desire to express physical affection to someone, or, to experience something new is wrong or invalid it precipitates a rebellion response. This goes for anyone, and I would think that most people would have known from their experience as youths that this is true.

"Raise all your children as thinkers, because the world thrives on the breath of school children."
- Rashi, Tractate Rabbah from the Talmud.

Peace,

boy162000

Reputation Comments on this post:

	You're a good guy, and that was excellent information.
	Seems pretty Sane!

[Trebor]

I don't believe you can keep chldren of drugs, it's a choice they themselves make. You can only influence it. The only way you can definitly prevent children from taking drugs is to restrict their access, try moving to Siberia and live as a goat herder. Or lese you could do the easier and cheaper way of educating them yourself. There is a book "All About Drugs" by Franz Bergel and D.R.A Davies. Swim's has a friend who gave it to his son and he enjoyed it a great deal. When Swim quizzed him on it he said he had learnt a lot about drugs and enjoyed that it didn't take any sides.