Teenagers & Drugs

[darkglobe]

From William White's DXM FAQ:

I don't think drug use is inherently any more or less wrong for teenagers than for adults. In practicality, however, one needs a certain level of emotional and intellectual (and possibly physical) maturity before responsible drug use becomes likely. And responsible people know there are times and places not to use intoxicating or otherwise mind-altering substances.

Just curious... Anybody have anything to say on this topic?

What do you think of drug use among teenagers?

I should say us, lol, as I'm technically one. Unfortunately.

We get too much bad press

~Dark

[wellhelm]

I agree with Mr. White and I think its case by case. Some 17 year olds are well disciplined, intelligent, responsible and emotionally mature enough to do drugs and some 40 year olds are not. I think that drug use is a part, though not a necessity, of growing up. Just another experience that should not be differentiated from sky diving, underage drinking, rockclimbing, or premarital sex.

[darkglobe]

I fully agree. I know I probably have little or no right to criticise teenagers, as I'm young myself, but I find it irritating how some (actually most, but not all) younger teenagers (I'd say mainly those around 14-15 years old) tend to view their drug use as something to do out of 'boredom'. The primary most annoying one is 'I'm a teenager drugs are part of it". Wihle they have a point, it irritates me how quick they are to blame teenagerism (copyright, 2007, MF!) for their actions.

~Dark

[Humanity]

Well... as I'm just as old as you, Dark, I agree with you on the most part.
I'm totally ok with teenagers doing drugs... as mostly they/we sit in their/our own corners and don't go about disturging others :>
I don't really give a rat's ass what they use them for - out of sheer boredom or to gain experience or if they're just addicted... it's really up to them. Anyone from the age 13 and up should have the capability to think for their own and usually I trust them to do so.
Cept my brother

-Human!ty

[Riconoen {UGC}]

I agree, teens get a bad rap, here in the US under 18's s are viewed by most as second class citizens and as the property of thier parents and I think that's wrong, most teens believe it or not can think for themselves and make thier own descisions, at least the ones I've met, and drugs are part of those descisions IMO.

[darkglobe]

That's another fair point, but maybe people should give more concern to teenager's drug use.

I mean, I'm against the war on drugs by about 90%, and don't think teenagers should be given the usual 'Drugs bad! Bombing arabs good!' speech.

At the same time I believe awareness should be raised, and cautions/warnings should be given.

The crux of the matter is, "Why aren't youngsters given both sides of the story?"


I've just been surfing the net, and found a site funded by the drug-free America pact or something. It's about DXM, by the way.

The site's home page was labelled with the tag-line: "Information about DXM (Dextromethorphan) and cough syrup. Get the facts and make up your own mind."

Okay, that's all well and good, but when the site tells you only of the bad effects, and none of the good effects, and has "case studies" claiming to be written by "ex-dxm abusers" (which blatantly isn't), I start to ponder... maybe if the choices were given, and both sides shown by the mass media, do you think it's a possibility that less people would try drugs?

[AntiAimer]

Age means nothing, it depends on the person and there maturity. With the right information, everyone can make there own decisions. As long as they understand what there getting into, what's the problem?

If you dont like it, don't do it. Plain and simple, people need to stop trying to control other peoples lives.(Stop the selfishness!) You only live once after all, might as well do as you please. Good decisions or bad, people learn by experience.

[mouthwater]

Located through the human project:

Adolescent drug use and psychological health. A longitudinal inquiry.
Shedler J, Block J.
University of California, Berkeley.
Am Psychol. 1990 May;45(5):612-30.

The relation between psychological characteristics and drug use was investigated in subjects studied longitudinally, from preschool through age 18. Adolescents who had engaged in some drug experimentation (primarily with marijuana) were the best-adjusted in the sample. Adolescents who used drugs frequently were maladjusted, showing a distinct personality syndrome marked by interpersonal alienation, poor impulse control, and manifest emotional distress. Adolescents who, by age 18, had never experimented with any drug were relatively anxious, emotionally constricted, and lacking in social skills. Psychological differences between frequent drug users, experimenters, and abstainers could be traced to the earliest years of childhood and related to the quality of parenting received. The findings indicate that (a) problem drug use is a symptom, not a cause, of personal and social maladjustment, and (b) the meaning of drug use can be understood only in the context of an individual's personality structure and developmental history. It is suggested that current efforts at drug prevention are misguided to the extent that they focus on symptoms, rather than on the psychological syndrome underlying drug abuse.

[LiLiTH]

Originally Posted by AntiAimer

Age means nothing, it depends on the person and there maturity.

I totally agree with this, but taking into consideration that teenagers have an average 50 more years to live it makes sense that they are taught to use the drugs that have less negative effects in their health. Save the addictive/expensive ones when you are old, retired, wealthy and have nothing to loose.

Anyways, just another point of view..

[stoneinfocus]

Word, cool findings of Berkley, exactly reflecting my opinion.

[darkglobe]

As above - Excellent findings.

It just goes to show that the stereotype given to younger drug users is wholly unjustified.

~Dark

[geezaman]

SWIMs first drug was weed, this was at about 14/15, and before he ever got drunk, he did it because the opportunity arose, an older guy who he looked up to smoked it, and this defied all drug education so SWIM wanned to see for him self this only occurred on camping trips a few times a year with a youth group type thing they both attended, getting high involved trying to stay as sober as you could and usually kicking 10 shades out of one another, or doing various physical "1 up man ship" type things. The same sort of routine played out the first few times SWIM got completely drunk at a friends house.
this carried on not often, till a few months before SWIY all hate it boredom was one of the main reason SWIM made his own efforts into drugs, and he did it in the mind that this was a teenageree thing to do, and so excusable under that guise. SWIMs own first efforts involved salvia. he enjoyed and his boredom ended, SWIM has not been bored since, within months SWIM had introduced 5 other friends, another two friends were uninterested in drugs. of the 5 one never got into salvia, the others SWIM takes drugs with to this day.
SWIM introduced his friends to drugs as an interesting and experimental type thing, rather than just "getting high", they never kick the shit out of each other to this day. Although now when a night is planned getting the most rewarding concoction into your system is usually the aim of the game.

SWIM was safe as one could be with such a hobbie, but knows that the groups of tens who get high and try to hurt each other well out number those happy to lay back and enjoy the experience.

i also know 2 years on I'm personally allot more mature than i used to be and aware of the risks i take with less of the teenage sense of I'm invincible, and more, I'm gonna be paying with my liver and lungs for these decisions i make today

[Trebor]

Swim's nephew is 17 and is completly responsible in his drug use mainly becuase Swim always told him the truth about drugs. If he needs to know anything he can call to the apartment or Swim's office.

Be honest with kids. It pays.

[darkglobe]

Swim has an office? Duuuuude!

Anyhoo... It's really enlightening to see people not much different in age to myself having two-sided, evaluative opinions on drug use. Usually (on other forums) I get the usual "drugz r kool shit I'm rock solid cuz I do drugz yeah!" responses.

Glad you all think!

On other thing, Geezaman, I respect your maturity but I disagree with introducing others to drugs, unless the others express an interest. I'm not sure what your circumstances were, though. Round here there tends to be a rule of thumb that if someone is with people doing drugs he hasn't done before, they will not let him do them, as they don't want to be responsible for introducing them.

An example: One of my friends, let's call her K, had a bit of a party on boxing day 2005. There was about 9 of us there I think. Everybody (except myself and 1 other) was smoking a lot of weed. In the end, the other one not smoking decided to smoke. She had smoked weed before, so off she went and rolles up. I, on the other hand, had never smoked weed in my life. I was lucky to be offered some by K, who thought (seeing as I'd been around them and weed for a few years) that it was ok for me to smoke it. I declined (I just didn't feel like it).
Then, 7 out of the 9 there started using amphetamines. I actually asked to try it, but was told in no uncertain terms: "No chance". K did not want to be responsible for anything that could happen (I'm actually a fairly physically weak person) and thus I wasn't allowed. Her reasoning was that I'd never even seen anybody on speed before, and wasn't sure of the effects. This was true, as in 2005 I had absolutely no idea about most drugs. So in the end, I spent most of the time drinking and smoking my cigarettes.
It actually turned out to be a pretty crappy night because they all got arsy and annoying (speed I magine) and then most fell asleep quite early in the night (probably due to the concoction of alcohol, weed, speed, nicotine and in a few ppl ecstasy floating around their bloodstreams), leaving me to sit up quietly giving myself lung cancer lol.

Funnily, to this day I've not touched speed.

~Dark

[Trebor]

Yes Siwm has an office, never there though, had a job for the last three months and been to the building 3 times and his office once.