Wake-Up Call to Parents

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My personal experience after creating this blogsite has been general apathy. Parents believe that their children are living a "normal", age-appropriate life style. Maybe their own experience and adolescent experimentation caused no long-term damage. They tell me, "my kids are doing just fine" or, "I trust my children to raise their children in a safe environment". OK, then why do we have rising incidents of death caused by underage-drinking, the growing methods of experimentation with substances like prescription drugs (Oxycontin, aka, "hillbilly heroin"), inhalants and the newest death warrant of the "choking game". In my opinion, these parents, grandparents and other caregivers are in "denial", very often the attitude of loved ones who care for family members with suspected alcohol and drug abuse and addiction. My experience and belief was the subject of a Join Together News Summary, "Study: Fewer Parents Talk to Kids About Drugs (2/22/2005)":

"More than one in ten parents say they have never spoken to their kids about drugs, double the rate of six years ago, according to a new survey conducted by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America (PDFA).

The Associated Press reported Feb. 22 that the survey of 1,200 parents nationwide found that 12 percent said they never talk about drugs with their kids. Moreover, while few parents currently use drugs, many of those who came of age in the late 70s and early 80s expressed little concern about drug experimentation among their own kids. Only about half of those surveyed said they would be upset if their child tried marijuana.

"While the vast majority of parents have left old habits behind, they're carrying old attitudes and beliefs forward," said Steve Pasierb, president and CEO of PDFA. "If old habits die hard, the data suggests lax attitudes about drugs die even harder."

Parents also tended to underestimate youth drug use. About 39 percent of teens have smoked marijuana, for instance, but only 18 percent of parents said they believe their own child has tried pot."

Wake up parents. Do you know your children's friends? Do you know where they are when away from home? Are you of the belief, "Not in my Backyard"? Here are two comments I received following my posts on the "Choking Game":

"I am a grandmother in CA who believes now the what was termed a suicide in her granddaughter's death is nothing less then some crazy prank game gone wrong. She hung her self with her Mother's bathrobe belt from a closet door nob. Her twin sister found her dead. She was that type of 14 year old who could try something wild just to see if her friends were right."

Another reader wrote:

"Thank you for your time and energy spent on spreading the word about this dangerous thrill seeking behavior. There are so many children that have lost their live from playing this sick game. As with your comment on 'hoping' to get this into the schools, that is something I have been trying to do since shortly after I lost my son, Gabriel to this on May 6, 2005.

I encourage you to keep going, to keep trying to save our children."

Not convinced yet that you may be avoiding a disaster in-the-making? Then please refer to some of my previous posts:

URGENT ALERT To Parents

Teen Drinking Alert

Parents: Take Action on Underage Drinking

SOBERING FACTS ON UNDERAGE DRINKING

The Realities of Alcohol and Drug Abuse--MY OPINION

Keeping Youth Drug Free

PARENTAL ALERT: The Silent Epidemic

Protecting Kids from Tobacco

INHALANTS: Drug of Choice by Some Teens

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Draginol

Join Date 03/2001

+137

This article could have been written in 1955 too though.

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JillUser

Join Date 11/2003

+17

I think the most important thing that isn't being taught to kids is how valuable their lives and the lives of others are. We live in such a fast track disposable society that I don't think a lot of kids really feel like they are an important part of their world. I think the other part is too many kids have too much too soon.

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The thing is...most teens are stupid and parents need to fix them. I'm 17 and I've never tried any kind of drug...be it tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, etc. My parents told me not to do that stuff....at least, I think they did....and then everyone else in the world tells you not to do it....the thing is, I'm smarter than that in the first place. I was bored as crap in those stupid drug prevention things they make you sit through in school....I still haven't used anything, and I probably never will....number one reason is that it costs too damn much, and the second reason is that I like to keep a clear head, and to make a nice even three....I'm just too lazy to get high. It's not like all teens want to go "experiment"....I don't...I've seen what it does and I don't like it.....other teens, well...they're just stupid. Peer pressure is bullshit, btw....I just wanted to get that out there, I've never been pressured or anything by society.....perhaps I'm just naturally stubborn.

~Zoo

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