Kids And Drugs

[raunchyblount]

My grammar isn't very well so please bear with me. Just found out my
16 year old son is smoking pot, this really hurt me. I was raised with
drugs in my life, and hate that i was ever introduced to them.
From my experiance no drug ever made my life better, maybe with
out them i might be in a better place in life now.

Well to get on with what i really want to say.
The war on drugs is not working .This is what i think needs to happen,
i think they need to quit trying to find the people making
and selling drugs. With the money they save from that, drug test middle school,high school,and
college. Have more classes on drugs to teach kids what drugs do to you, and
video of people on drugs and where they live. If they do fail
the drug test have some sort of punishment like a bootcamp,
or jail that they go to just as soon as the results of the drug test
come back. Parents can't have any control of this,
because parents are going to feel sorry for the kids. I really am against
suspension from school , all kids need there education.


The jail or bootcamp that they would go to would still have school for
them to learn and discuss drugs. I just think if we could start with the
kids we could win the drug war. With that said the money that we save
form not serching for the ones making the drugs or selling them .We could
also drug test every job,and any government funded program like welfare,disabilty,
foodstamps,and wic. If these people fail the drug test they also go to jail and more
drug classes and rehab. That would be the only way they might be able to get
the government funded programs back.

I know all the people that are out serching for these peolpe making, and selling
the drugs would be with out a job ,but what they are doing is not
working, if you ask me. Maybe what i am saying don't make
any since to some, maybe it will to others. To those it does if you can make what i
am trying to say more clear. Have at it ,just wanted to voice my opinion.I would like
this to go through and be come law. If there is a way ,tell me what to do
and if you can help me please. If a teacher,police and preacher can't keep thier
kids from doing drugs what can we do. thanks to all that read this thread ,
and if it is in the wrong part of the fourm i am sorry. Help me get it where i can be heard,
and again thanks for your time and anything else you can do to help me.Not to say what
i am saying is right i just want somethng to happen. NO parent wants there kids doing
drugs no matter whats there age.

[ssandra]

It is ok that your grammar isn't good.

It would help though for readability (and increase the chance you will get answers) if you add some paragraphs here and there. just add some enters.

[ZephyrusX]

For clarification, this post isn't directed at you personally, raunchyblount. I am addressing the problem in a general sense.

I think we are better off cultivating the type of relationships with our children that will encourage open communication and trust. As it is now, a lot of parents seem to circumvent their child's decision making and spend a lot of time judging the actions of their children. You won't establish a healthy relationship with your child that way. If children have better problem solving resources (lets say the guidance and love of a parent), they will be less likely to make poor decisions. In order to this, I think we need to deconstruct our conceptions of childhood and reconstruct them in a new way.

Honestly, so long as there is a will to misuse drugs, people will find a way to use them regardless of any deterrence system you setup. All you are going to do is drain the resources of the State. Too many people are in jail for petty drug charges; it is simply a waste of our time.

People misuse drugs for different reasons. Some people use them to self-medicate isolation and depression. Some people use crystal meth in order to dull the difficulties of being homeless. If you want to decrease drug abuse, get to the source of the problem and prevent it. Don't just mindlessly slap the ruler down on the hands of people. Coincidentally, the number one reason children become homeless and resort to drugs and alcohol as self-medication is the abuse they face at home.

I don't think pot ought to be illegal, btw.

[raunchyblount]

Just wanted to say thanks to both replys.
This was just a thought on my mind. Just
wanted other opinions of what i thought.
I am not the smartest man in the world. I
just try to be the best dad i know how
to be.

Being a parent is not easy.Me and my son
are very close and we talk about
everything. He is a wonderfull person.

Just worried about my kid like any other
parent in my situation.

[ZephyrusX]

What does your son think about taking pot? If he is going to experiment with drugs, you might as well teach him how to do it safely. I'm not sure if there are any particular risks associated with taking pot beyond damaging his lungs. I'm assuming he is smoking it rather than taking it in brownie form

[NoJobRob]

I don't have a firm stance on smoking weed because I've seen it be completely harmless, but I've also seen people (myself included) go from smoking weed to using harder drugs. I was quite the pot head in high school, and so were my friends, jocks, rockers, stoners, and "nerds" alike. LOL So far, none of us have had any major setbacks in life because of it. The only bumps in the roads for any of us have been alcohol related. Some of us moved on to harder drugs for a while but we grew out of it after a year or two, and have moved on to become productive and morally upstanding citizens.

I'm not really sure what kind of action you should take, if any. Obviously we don't want to see our loved ones do anything that could cause serious problems in their lives, but at the same time a LOT of people just experiment for a while and then outgrow it. Out of my graduating class of just over 200 students (high school, class of 2000), only 2 have either ruined their lives or ended up dead because of drugs. That's not too bad at all. If you believe that your son has a good head on his shoulders, then just have faith that he will make the right decisions. He probably will. But if you see warning signs of any kind, then take action. I'm not talking about just coming home with the munchies and giggles, but if you notice drastic changes in his behavior, sleeping habits, level of responsibility, or anything that would indicate that he's not the same person, then it's time to have a talk with him and maybe seek help if it is warranted.

I wish you the best of luck.

[ChrisGinsburg]

Originally Posted by raunchyblount

My grammar isn't very well so please bear with me. Just found out my
16 year old son is smoking pot, this really hurt me. I was raised with
drugs in my life, and hate that i was ever introduced to them.
From my experiance no drug ever made my life better, maybe with
out them i might be in a better place in life now.

Well to get on with what i really want to say.
The war on drugs is not working .This is what i think needs to happen,
i think they need to quit trying to find the people making
and selling drugs. With the money they save from that, drug test middle school,high school,and
college. Have more classes on drugs to teach kids what drugs do to you, and
video of people on drugs and where they live. If they do fail
the drug test have some sort of punishment like a bootcamp,
or jail that they go to just as soon as the results of the drug test
come back. Parents can't have any control of this,
because parents are going to feel sorry for the kids. I really am against
suspension from school , all kids need there education.


The jail or bootcamp that they would go to would still have school for
them to learn and discuss drugs. I just think if we could start with the
kids we could win the drug war. With that said the money that we save
form not serching for the ones making the drugs or selling them .We could
also drug test every job,and any government funded program like welfare,disabilty,
foodstamps,and wic. If these people fail the drug test they also go to jail and more
drug classes and rehab. That would be the only way they might be able to get
the government funded programs back.

I know all the people that are out serching for these peolpe making, and selling
the drugs would be with out a job ,but what they are doing is not
working, if you ask me. Maybe what i am saying don't make
any since to some, maybe it will to others. To those it does if you can make what i
am trying to say more clear. Have at it ,just wanted to voice my opinion.I would like
this to go through and be come law. If there is a way ,tell me what to do
and if you can help me please. If a teacher,police and preacher can't keep thier
kids from doing drugs what can we do. thanks to all that read this thread ,
and if it is in the wrong part of the fourm i am sorry. Help me get it where i can be heard,
and again thanks for your time and anything else you can do to help me.Not to say what
i am saying is right i just want somethng to happen. NO parent wants there kids doing
drugs no matter whats there age.

If marijuana was completely socially acceptable and instead caffeine demonized and illegal, would we still be having this same discussion? Try to answer honestly. Your suggestion of showing a video of people on drugs would have to include just about everyone in society ranging from the junkies all the way up to the CEO's of major corporations enjoying a drink.

Note, I don't smoke pot or encourage people do or don't use any substances one way or another in any absolute manner.

[scorpio1980]

I smoked pot on and off for 15 years. I would just quit smoking it when I got tired of it, and start doing it again when I felt like it. No one I know has had any major setbacks from smoking pot. Infact some of the smartest scientists, and artists I know smoke pot on a regular basis. Pot shouldn't be illegal. It should be up to the individual to smoke if they like. Since your son is only 16 I suppose you may have some say in his choices, but in reality if he is a smart guy he will probably be just fine. If he were on real drugs I would say you need to be worried, but pot is no worse than drugs like caffene, nicotene, etc. There are always exceptions to this, and a small percentage of pot users end of dropping out of life, but most pot users end up being your every day hard working, intelligent person who happens to enjoy smoking pot for fun and relaxation. I don't smoke anymore, because it just wasn't that fun to me anymore, but I believe people should have the right to smoke pot if they choose to.

[Harmonium]

Weed isn't something to be THAT concerned over in my opinion. You getting hurt by this is somewhat to me like if my grandma was emotionally hurt over my food choices. Sure it may not be universally healthy but it is a choice and I don't take kindly to others attempting to control my choices or guilt me into making different ones. I really appreciate my relatives that accept me and my choices, the ones that don't I tend to avoid and talk less to.

[Andrew Brunelle]

Here's the deal. I don't do any drugs, but I'm not one to judge those that do. For a recreational user who uses maybe once or twice a week, I'm not going to get all offended and judgmental. For those who are addicted and may very well die from drug use, that's another story. I just lost a coworker to drugs, and I see the effect it can have on some people who are in the wrong state of mind.

I think your plan is a bit much, but I can see your concern over your son. Two people in my immediate family smoke marijuana, and I don't have a problem with it. It sure makes them happier and way more laughter-prone and relaxed, so what's the harm every once in awhile? It's the chronic use that is the real problem. And that's of most drugs. Except maybe the really addictive and dangerous ones, like heroin and methamphetamines.

The sad truth is that most teens experiment with drugs. Most 20-somethings use drugs on occasion. Why? It is an escape from reality, from the world that they live in that they feel can be harsh at times. Escapism is never a good thing, but from time to time, some people find it necessary. Other people just do it for fun. Pot is not something that is very dangerous, although long-term use can hurt your brain and cause emotional problems. But kids will be kids and don't worry too much about your son's pot use unless he starts using it more and more, or goes on to harder stuff.

[JSB]

I've seen some people who can handle smoking weed recreationally with no problems, and some who seem to be affected more negatively. I personally tend to think that drug use will have a more negative than positive effect in the long run, but I think each individual should be able to choose for him/herself.

However, I strongly believe that 16 year olds should not be using drugs or alcohol at all (and, no I certainly didn't believe this when I was 16! ). The issue is that the adolescent brain is still developing, and the risk of alcohol addiction or negative effects from drug use is higher than for older adults. Sadly, it is during adolescence that most people are inclined to experiment with substances and take other risks.

Based on our current knowledge of stages of neural development, I don't think that anyone under 25 should be drinking alcohol or taking psychoactive substances.

[JDuff]

I smoked cannabis and drank alcohol regularly from the age of 16 until recently. I have stopped smoking but still drink every week, and I've turned out fine.

But my advice, from experience, is that you cannot fool kids with ignorance or purposeful misinformation. For example, a lot of schools give blatantly false information about drugs, for example how likely you are to die, or how negative the effects can be.

I strongly believe that in order to educate properly towards refraining from drug use, you need sensible advice as to why it is harmful. For example, it is addictive and time consuming, and believe me, it has a negative impact on motivation and ambition, as well as the ability to concentrate. Also, over time it can have negative effects on personality, from paranoia to lack of confidence.

Overall, there are more important things you could be doing with your time, and there is also the major risk of getting caught. Although there is nothing morally wrong in my opinion with using substances providing they don't harm yourselves or others, if you use them too often the harm increases. For example, although I am fine now, I have had bad experiences and overall, I wish I did it less. Also, even though some people's negative attitudes towards drug use may be misinformed, you still need to bear their interests into consideration. Otherwise it is selfish.

Overall, I would advocate an understanding and sympathetic response based on openness. It is far better to be in the know about what your child is up to, rather than run the risk of him doing it in secret.

[JDuff]

Also, take a look at this!

BBC News - IQ 'can change in teenage years'

It lends some weight to the argument above concerning how teenager's brains at changing. The article suggests that IQ can change during teenage years. Doing drugs is probably not going to help!