Monday, December 19, 2011

Myth #1: "Casual Use is OK"

Too many people think that they can simply try drugs once and it won't affect them.  Other people believe that they can control how they use drugs.  Very few people, if any, try drugs or other addictive substances with the intention of becoming drug addicts and abusers.  Most abusers state, "If I had only known...."


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In Masquerade, we learn about "The Slippery Slope of Drug Usage."


Level 1:  The Experimental Stage...This is the stage where a substance is tried for the first time.

Level 2:  The Casual Users Stage...People at this stage have decided that they like the feeling they get when they're high, but they limit their use to "certain times or special occasions."

Level 3:  The Regular Users Stage...At the stage, people want the high more than just once in awhile.  “They can usually still function at work and school, but they are dangerously close to becoming chemically addicted.”  At this point, people around them start to notice signs.
Level 4:  The Chemical Addiction Stage...People at this stage "are in total denial about it," but it is obvious to everyone around.  The dangers at this stage are immense.  (Masquerade Discussion Guide, pages 17 and 18)

Please note...Do not think that only those people at Level 4 are in danger!  There are many stories of young people who died after only one use.

For those of you in eighth grade, you met one of my co-workers last week when he visited your Health class.  He shared with you why the Idaho Meth Project uses the phrase "Not Even Once" as their slogan.  We learned that the very first time you use meth is the highest you will ever be.  After that, you will spend your time "chasing" that first high but never finding it because you will never be that high again.

That's why Level 1 and Level 2 are so dangerous.  It's the SLIPPERY SLOPE!  Once you experience the high, you will want that high again and again.  You will not be able to control it!

Casual use in NOT okay!  It leads to abuse, addiction...and DEATH!

If you are already on the slippery slope...or know someone who is...get help!  Save a life!

QUESTION SIX:  We can experience life's "highs" without using drugs or other dangerous substances.  What are some things that you do that give you a "life high"?

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Legal...But Controlled (The Truth About Alcohol and Tobacco)

We call alcohol and tobacco legal, but controlled substances.  This is because once you are a certain age, it is legal to consume these substances.  Under a certain age, however, it is illegal.

In Idaho, it is illegal to possess or consume alcohol under the age of 21.  One of the reasons is that alcohol can have serious, long-term consequences for a body and brain that are still developing.

Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) shares that, "Alcohol use remains extremely widespread among today’s teenagers.  Nearly three quarters of students (72%) have consumed alcohol (more than just a few sips) by the end of high school, and more than a third (37%) have done so by eighth grade."

abovetheinfluence.com states that alcohol can "damage the part of your brain that controls coordination, memory, judgment and decision-making...Unable to move and think clearly, you can do stupid, risky and reckless things that are unsafe, or even lethal. Each year, approximately 5,000 people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking. This includes about 1,900 deaths from car accidents, 1,600 homicides, 300 suicides, and hundreds of other deaths due to accidents like falls, burns and drownings."

In Idaho, is it illegal to possess tobacco under the age of 18.  Nicotine, the main drug in tobacco products, is one of the most highly addictive drugs we know.  Most adults who are addicted started when they were teenagers and the majority wish they never had.

Students Against Destructive Decistions (SADD) states that, "Nearly half (44%) of American young people have tried cigarettes by twelfth grade, and one out of five (20%) twelfth graders is a current smoker."

abovetheinfluence.com states that, "Smoking harms your immune system and can affect nearly every organ of your body...Here are some numbers to consider: In the 40 years between 1964 and 2004, cigarette smoking caused an estimated 12 million deaths...In 2010, more than 220,000 new cases of lung cancer were reported, and more than 150,000 Americans died as a direct result of the disease."


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If you are underage and are caught in possession and/or consuming alcohol or tobacco you can be arrested and charged.  In school you can also face additional charges.  Many sports and academic programs have a code of conduct which dismisses you from the program if caught.  Is it worth the risk?  What about the medical risks and long-term health consequences?

Is everyone really doing it?  Think again...students who are committed to their future say no.


QUESTION FIVE:  What do you think about alcohol and tobacco? 

Monday, December 5, 2011

Prescription Drug Abuse...The Facts

The National Council on Patient Information and Education states that...
  • 1 in 5 teens has abused prescription drugs.
  • 1 in 3 teens reports there is "nothing wrong" when using prescription drugs "every once and a while."
  • 1 in 3 teens report knowing someone who abuses prescription drugs. 
  • Every day, almost 2,500 teens abuse a prescription drug for the first time.
  • Prescription drugs are abused more than cocaine, heroin, ecstasy and methamphetamine combined.

So, what's the big deal?  I found the following information on a brochure obtained from www.painfullyobvious.com.  I am quoting directly from the brochure titled "The Effects of Abusing Prescription Drugs are Painfully Obvious".

Between addiction and death there is lying, cheating 
and stealing.  Families are broken and friendships are destroyed.  
If you haven't gotten it by now, the reasons not to abuse 
prescription drugs are...
OBVIOUS... 
no one wants to be around someone who's shaking, stinking, and puking.  The physical effects of abusing prescription drugs include severe shaking, diarrhea, and throwing up.
REALLY OBVIOUS... 
when someone is passed out they're very boring.  Other effects include dizziness, heavy sweating, and loss of consciousness.
RIDICULOUSLY OBVIOUS... 
dead people are no fun.  The worst effects of abusing prescription drugs are addiction and death.

Prescription drug abuse is very dangerous!  Prescription drugs are safe only when they are prescribed by a doctor and taken as directed.  Doctors evaluate and do the necessary tests to ensure that the drugs they are prescribing to a patient will not harm them.  Prescription drugs taken without this recommendation, in the wrong way, and/or mixed with something they should not be mixed with....CAN KILL YOU!

Also, giving prescription drugs to someone else is a crime and you will be arrested.  Going to jail is not cool!


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http://youtu.be/8DGLA-69ru4


QUESTION FOUR:  Did anything from this week's post surprise you?  What would you share with a friend who was abusing prescription drugs?