sagira Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 What books and PSAs are great for showing kids the bad effects of drugs? When I was a middle schooler, we were educated on substance abuse in school, but what has made the most impact on me were the posters (think 1980s) as well as a few books. One book in particular, in Dutch, Het verrotte leven van Floortje Bloem (The rotted life of Floortje Bloem), impacted me to such an extent that I never, ever, wanted to even be near the stuff. It was so.. despicable and unimaginable to me. Of course my mom's admonitions and lectures helped a lot, but it is this book that actually portrayed the realities and suffering of kids with substance abuse. My kids don't understand or speak Dutch, so I'm looking for books in English. Any ideas? Ds11 is young and impressionable, still very receptive, close to us. I don't want to wait until he's a teen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 Here is an excellent article that just came out about the effects of mj on the teenage brain: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/02/education/edlife/this-is-your-brain-on-drugs-marijuana-adults-teens.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0 FWIW, this is how we approach substance abuse ed in our house. Not as a moral issue, but as a safety and health issue. We teach the kids about how their brains work and how these substances have a particularly nefarious effect on the developing brain. When they are adults, they can choose for themselves to use (preferably with moderation) or not, but while they are growing they should avoid altogether so that their brains have the chance to develop normally. We live in wine country, and most of the adults in their world drink, and recreational drug use is not uncommon either. And it's rampant at the local middle school and high school. Couching this as a "thou shalt not" kind of issue could easily lead to charges of hypocrisy - having grown up in a religion which preached moderation & abstinence in youth, but in which heavy drinking among adults was the norm, I am really sensitive to this issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagira Posted November 4, 2014 Author Share Posted November 4, 2014 Here is an excellent article that just came out about the effects of mj on the teenage brain: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/02/education/edlife/this-is-your-brain-on-drugs-marijuana-adults-teens.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0 FWIW, this is how we approach substance abuse ed in our house. Not as a moral issue, but as a safety and health issue. We teach the kids about how their brains work and how these substances have a particularly nefarious effect on the developing brain. When they are adults, they can choose for themselves to use (preferably with moderation) or not, but while they are growing they should avoid altogether so that their brains have the chance to develop normally. We live in wine country, and most of the adults in their world drink, and recreational drug use is not uncommon either. And it's rampant at the local middle school and high school. Couching this as a "thou shalt not" kind of issue could easily lead to charges of hypocrisy - having grown up in a religion which preached moderation & abstinence in youth, but in which heavy drinking among adults was the norm, I am really sensitive to this issue. We do the same thing. A safety and health issue. Thanks for reaffirming my ideas on this issue. Thank you to both ladies. I will preview the above meth effect video before showing ds for sure. I still need books, if any. If there are any good YA books about drugs and the negative effects it can have on people's lives I would really like to know. He's just 11, so books with sex maybe not yet. Maybe there aren't books like that, not sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagira Posted November 4, 2014 Author Share Posted November 4, 2014 The most shocking thing I've seen is the meth age progression before and after photos. The amount of damage it does in just a few years is devastating. http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/meths-devastating-effects-before-and-after/ Preview it for yourself first because some of the pictures may not be age appropriate. YIKES! I saw one that truly frightening! And so, so SAD. Oh my, why do people do this to themselves? :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 Sadly, a lot of the really good books are going to have sexual content, too--many drugs lower sexual inhibitions, and early sexual experiences seem to go hand in hand with drug use. But you might try some books from Alateen that talk about real life teens and tell their stories. IDK exactly what they have, but the website is probably worth a look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagira Posted November 5, 2014 Author Share Posted November 5, 2014 Thanks, Chris in VA. I found this, it looks intriguing: http://www.drugfreeworld.org/freeinfo.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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