Home > Health > MOMania > Archives > 2008 > November > 18
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Do you warn your kids about unusual ways to get high?
Or is that just giving them ideas? What about prescription and over-the-counter drugs that are easy to get and easy to overlook?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I received a note from a mom recently who is concerned about talking to her kids about drugs. It seems like she’s pretty comfortable with the whole “Don’t smoke pot or do crack,” but she is wondering if you warn them about more unusual ways to get high? Would that help prepare them for the situation or just give them ideas?
Here’s part of what she wrote:
“I was watching that show, ‘The Dr.’s’ (I love that show!), yesterday, and they were talking about new ways teenagers are being stupid — specifically dealing with drugs. They talked about something that I’d never heard of before: salvia. You smoke it and it’s supposed to be a quick high, just a few minutes, and it’s legal. I couldn’t imagine why since anything that’s hallucinogenic only needs a minute (or less) to get you into some life-changing trouble like a car crash….”
“The show also talked about other things that teens were doing like soaking a tampon in vodka and then inserting it to get the alcohol straight into the bloodstream quicker (or putting it in other places for guys.) And they had a girl there in the audience who had videoed herself snorting vodka up her nose.”
Along these same lines, I have been corresponding with a group about raising awareness of over-the-counter cough medicine abuse. It is a very easy for drug for teens (and kids) to get their hands on and something parents could easily overlook as a threat. Here are some stats on cough syrup abuse from the Consumer Healthcare Products Association:
“According to a recent survey from the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, one in 10 teens has reported abusing OTC cough medicines to get high - and even worse, one in four say that they know someone who has. As back-to-school pressures begin to mount (73% of teens say that coping with school stress is the main reason they turn to drugs), this issue is of utmost importance.”
“Cough medicine abuse is no accident. Teens who abuse these medicines are intentionally taking excessive amounts — sometimes up to 50 times the recommended dose—to get high from the active ingredient, dextromethorphan (DXM). When taken at these high levels, and when mixed with alcohol and other drugs, the effects can be incredibly dangerous.”
“Despite the prevalence of this type of abuse among teens, most parents are unaware that this type of abuse is even possible. While studies show that kids who learn about the risks of drugs at home are up to 50 percent less likely to abuse them, a recent survey of parents shows that only 21 percent have talked to their teens about cough medicine abuse.”
“For this reason, five mothers from across the country have spent the past year using the internet (the same forum that teens are using to promote this type of abuse) to educate parents about the dangers of cough medicine abuse. Through their web site, www.fivemoms.com, The Five Moms: Stopping Cough Medicine Abuse campaign has reached more than 23 million parents, using online channels including personal blogs, a tell-a-friend messaging system and a “viral” video to address this disconnect and encourage parents to talk to their teens.”
Are you talking to your kids about drugs at all? Are you talking to them about over-the-counter or prescription drug abuse? Are you talking with them about crazy drugs they may have never even thought of? How do approach each of these categories for discussion and at what age? (I’ve talked to my 7-year-old about not doing drugs in general, but I think the vodka up the nose will wait for a later discussion.)
Permalink | Comments (30) | Post your comment | Categories: Health
