heroin, how to discuss this very serious topic with kids

[gingersmom]

Just start the conversation and make it ongoing.

 

I have talked to my kids since they were young about the dangers of drugs and alcohol.

 

They are 16 and 19 and it's still a conversation we have on a regular basis.

[SparklyUnicorn]

My boys are older (28-21). The boys=danger thing, I think, is probably meant for older boys. My little ones were exceedingly cautious until they were teenagers. Then they liked excitement and thrills, but not necessarily danger for danger,s sake. They did some wild things (I shudder to think about the jumps they flipped and twisted over on their snowboards) but it was the challenge they liked and the physical thrill, not the danger. I think probably it is as much personality as gender, anyway. The fastest way to get my mother in law to do something is to tell her she can,t. There,s a personality I am thankful mine didn,t inherit. It would make those drug discussions really difficult. Although the risk assessment approach might work.

 

Nan

 

No, none of the males in my life like excitement and thrills.

 

I might just know a lot of weird males though.  LOL

 

I myself tend towards being extremely cautious and methodical.  Probably the craziest thing I ever did was meet up with some guy I met off the Internet who was from another country.  But I was careful about it too. 

[Reefgazer]

Sometimes heroin use is an outgrowth of prescription pain medication; the patient can't get enough prescription drugs to  stop pain, so he turns to heroin.  Perhaps bring it up as a function of what can happen when someone is in intense pain and then goes there.

[Melissa in Australia]

Some children are born with addiction already. I am very close to some young children  like that. I am very concerned about their future and will do my absolutely best to educate them enough to NEVER try any drug- and will use their past as an example of why it is a really bad thing to try even once. It will be tricky to do this with tact  but I have still a few years to work it out.

 

 

 

 

 

locally (rural Aus) the problem is ICE. It is a really really big problem in the town 30 minutes away. 

[DesertBlossom]

No, none of the males in my life like excitement and thrills.

 

I might just know a lot of weird males though. LOL

 

I myself tend towards being extremely cautious and methodical. Probably the craziest thing I ever did was meet up with some guy I met off the Internet who was from another country. But I was careful about it too.

It'a funny because as I was reading the book (literally, in my hand) I was sitting near my 7 year old who was pushing this old rickety metal bench swing. He pushed it hard and then tried to jump on it, and nearly slipped. He had this look of horror on his face. Thankfully, he held on. Had he fallen, he would have landed hard on a concrete step below the swing. Immediately afterwards he looked at me and said "did you get a picture?" and proceeded to so it again. And that one *is* my generally cautious child. But I had to LOL at the whole scene because I had just finished reading that chapter.

[Hyacinth]

People have mentioned the painkiller-to-heroin connection. This, I think, can't be understated.

 

According to a NY TImes article from October 2015, 75% of heroin addicts used prescription opioids (Oxycodone, etc.) before trying heroin. So this isn't necessarily a peer pressure drug the way marijuana was when I was young. It's often a way of self-medicating when the insurance runs out or the doctor refuses to prescribe any longer. At $5 a hit, the pain relief is, I imagine, worthwhile. Until it isn't. 

 

Also interesting is the statistic that 90% of all first-time heroin users are white, and more and more are middle class, debunking the myth of illegal drug users as black, poverty-stricken gang bangers from the hood.  

[The Girls' Mom]

We've always just had frank discussions about drug abuse/use.  We've kind of been forced to their entire lives due to family members with some pretty awful addiction problems.  Unfortunately, we have plenty of real life examples we can point to and say "This is what it will do to you, don't even try it."

[Kathryn]

We lost a friend to heroin in high school over twenty years ago. His father was a higher-up in state law enforcement. He knew the risks.

 

I have a cousin who is 32 and apparently now a heroin addict. He has mental health problems and spent his twenties in prison. His father doesn't want him near his new family (which was a catalyst for his problems when he got rid of him as a teen), and got him a house in a former manufacturing town in upstate NY. He has no job, MH problems, no family nearby, and lives in a run-down town. Surprise! He's now a heroin addict!

[Hyacinth]

We lost a friend to heroin in high school over twenty years ago. His father was a higher-up in state law enforcement. He knew the risks.

 

I have a cousin who is 32 and apparently now a heroin addict. He has mental health problems and spent his twenties in prison. His father doesn't want him near his new family (which was a catalyst for his problems when he got rid of him as a teen), and got him a house in a former manufacturing town in upstate NY. He has no job, MH problems, no family nearby, and lives in a run-down town. Surprise! He's now a heroin addict!

 

The Binghamton area, by any chance?

 

[creekland]

Like many others we've always been honest with our kids - honest to the T.  This is what this drug will do to your body (or may do pending drug).  We used any drug - caffeine (which we use) to heroin or whatever else was the subject of the time.  This wasn't a one time talk.  This was an on-going talk whenever the subject came up from any of us.  (It wasn't a daily topic either - just whenever.)

 

Then we talked about why so many people choose to use drugs anyway.  What causes that if some are so bad?  

 

These were discussions, not lectures.

 

Then we talked about some alternative options.  What are options we have when we're feeling reckless or down or just plain rebellious?

 

If a person's fate spurred the conversation, we talked about what they could have chosen instead.

 

We also lived a lifestyle of making good choices.  We never get drunk, but can drink socially at times.  We let our kids try alcohol at home or on vacations (ending the thrill of trying it behind parental backs).

 

We've watched videos with parts of all of this - esp what happens to the brain/body.

 

I can't say that any one thing makes a difference, but the whole package seems to have.  Even my youngest who goes to one of the Top 10 druggie schools has had no problems rejecting that lifestyle choice.  He has friends who choose similarly there, so others buck the trend too.

 

Can we take credit?  I don't know.  That's just what we've done.  It's also what I do in smaller bits when I get chances at school... 'cause I think it can make a difference to young minds (or older minds under stress).  I emphasize that "what could you do instead?" discussion.  BTW, the answer to that question varies based upon what else gives the individual their "highs."  It could be running, or reading, or video games, or ???  There's a reason I'm a travel junkie.  When I get down, I plan a trip... it's a great escape for me.  It doesn't have to be an expensive trip.  It just has to break a rut.  Freebies are fine.  In my youth I escaped via horses and critters.  I literally thank those options for saving my life.

[SeaConquest]

Trainspotting and Requiem for a Dream are my go-to suggestions. 

[SparklyUnicorn]

 

People have mentioned the painkiller-to-heroin connection. This, I think, can't be understated.

 

According to a NY TImes article from October 2015, 75% of heroin addicts used prescription opioids (Oxycodone, etc.) before trying heroin. So this isn't necessarily a peer pressure drug the way marijuana was when I was young. It's often a way of self-medicating when the insurance runs out or the doctor refuses to prescribe any longer. At $5 a hit, the pain relief is, I imagine, worthwhile. Until it isn't. 

 

Also interesting is the statistic that 90% of all first-time heroin users are white, and more and more are middle class, debunking the myth of illegal drug users as black, poverty-stricken gang bangers from the hood.  

 

 

Yeah I've heard that too.   Another thing I worry about is dealing with people who might want to steal from others to get money to buy drugs. 

[SparklyUnicorn]

The way to discuss it is factually. And in context of drugs, legal and illegal, that can impact on  your mental, physical and social health. 

 

Alcohol is still more likely to be available to your kids, with a potential for abuse and harm, than heroin. Don'y hyper-focus on one drug.

 

I don't know. I actually think alcohol would be far more difficult to get around here.  Stores are strict about selling to minors.  Of course an adult could buy kids booze or they could steal it from their parents.  Heroin is being sold everywhere around here.  At this point my kid could not easily walk down the street and buy liquor.  He could buy heroin. 

 

I guess the concern I have is the fact it is often immediately addictive. 

Edited February 6, 2016 by SparklyUnicorn

[Alessandra]

In our area, most high schools have drug awareness programs for parents. I have found it helpful to find out specifically what is going on in my particular area. There is often a panel -- police, psychologists, parents who lost kids to addiction, etc. I would be surprised if hs parents were not welcomed. The parents who organize these events are usually crusaders who want to reach as many people ad possible. It is very, very scary.

[SparklyUnicorn]

In our area, most high schools have drug awareness programs for parents. I have found it helpful to find out specifically what is going on in my particular area. There is often a panel -- police, psychologists, parents who lost kids to addiction, etc. I would be surprised if hs parents were not welcomed. The parents who organize these events are usually crusaders who want to reach as many people ad possible. It is very, very scary.

 

I am pretty certain it would not be allowed. 

 

 

But this does give me an idea.  Might be be able to arrange a presentation/program for homeschoolers. 

[umsami]

We kind of talked about it recently (as well as alcohol) by watching The Simpson's "Mr. Plow" episode.  In it, Barnie is studying for the SATs, which are tomorrow...and is a total brain...when Homer convinces him to try a beer.  He instantly transforms into alcoholic Barnie.  Is that reality? No, not for most....but...my brother is an addict....started with alcohol around 11, ended with heroin...so we talked about that, and genetic predisposition, and sometimes how just trying it once (especially with heroin, crystal meth, etc.) can be a really bad idea. 

[LucyStoner]

Possibly have him watch some real life stories on YouTube about how it destroyed the lives of real people? Heroin is WAY BEYOND anything else. When I was a young boy, in CA, they sent people to Federal Prison for Heroin (my mother had a friend who lived a few blocks from us, whose daughter went to the Federal Pen. in Lexington KY for Heroin). I believe, unless they have changed the laws, that the penalties for Heroin in the USA are much more severe than for Cocaine and other drugs. Heroin is THE number one concern of voters in NH at this time. I believe you should (if you haven't already) discuss what you saw on TV with your DS. He is probably well aware of it. Hopefully, he will NEVER TRY illegal drugs of any kind. Heroin destroys faster than other drugs. Sick people do drugs. For years, we knew an American man here who had been into Cocaine when he lived in the states. For him, it was easier to give up Cocaine than to stop smoking cigarettes. I don't think one can give up Heroin that easily... I think you should have a friendly, low stress, conversation with your DS about illegal drugs, because it has become "normal" for many people in the USA/Canada/Europe to use illegal drugs.

Actually the U.S. federal mandatory minimum sentences for posession are the most restrictive and harshest for people in posession of crack cocaine, PCPs and meth. They are less harsh (meaning you have to have way more in you possession to be subject to a mandatory minimum sentence) for heroin. They are the easiest going on cocaine and marijuana.

 

The mandatory minimums and sentencing guidelines have more to do with the socioeconomic class of who used that drug most in 1986 when the laws were first passed than the relative harm to the users or likelihood to cause addiction. Cocaine and heroin used to be too expensive for street junkies. That's changed however. Cocaine is no longer that much more costly than crack.

[LMD]

It came up here whilst listening to the dandy Warhol's song...

[Alessandra]

I am pretty certain it would not be allowed.

 

 

But this does give me an idea. Might be be able to arrange a presentation/program for homeschoolers.

The police dept might be a good resource. They used to do presentations at Cub Scouts.

 

I was surprised after high school presentation. I was talking to police guy and said how worrying the whole drug thing was. He said people like me shouldn't be worried. I thought, ????. He said he remembered my son from scouts, years ago! My son was not with me at high school, so I guess the guy remembered me.

 

Actually, there was a multi week program for kids in middle school, led by police, so they did get multiple chances to know kids and vice versa.

 

Anyway, he said it was much less likely for kids of parents who actively learned and shared drug addiction info to have drug problems. He said he was more worried about the kids of parents who were not there.

 

No idea if that is true, but it was nice to hear.

 

Good luck on a program. Maybe your police have a good quality program already in place for kids that you could use, in addition to having a parent program.

Edited February 6, 2016 by Alessandra

[Ausmumof3]

Meth is the big problem here. And unfortunately it's not just teenagers, so many older people. Older people, mums with kids. Some of them to from nice average middle age people to people who steal anything from anyone just to get at it.

 

I think you've got lots of good suggestions the only thing I want to add is that sometimes it's not presented as hey these are drugs. Some of them around here look like lollies. Kids need to be cautious about accepting from anyone they don't 100pc know and trust.

[Alessandra]

 

People have mentioned the painkiller-to-heroin connection. This, I think, can't be understated.

 

According to a NY TImes article from October 2015, 75% of heroin addicts used prescription opioids (Oxycodone, etc.) before trying heroin. So this isn't necessarily a peer pressure drug the way marijuana was when I was young. It's often a way of self-medicating when the insurance runs out or the doctor refuses to prescribe any longer. At $5 a hit, the pain relief is, I imagine, worthwhile. Until it isn't.

 

Also interesting is the statistic that 90% of all first-time heroin users are white, and more and more are middle class, debunking the myth of illegal drug users as black, poverty-stricken gang bangers from the hood.

This.

 

In my area, at least, prescription drugs are the 'gateway' drugs of choice. But most don't sell for $5! More like $60 per pill for some drugs.

 

Heroin is very available here. A lot comes into Port of Newark. Much of it gets cut, shipped around the country, cut again multiple times. But there is stuff coming out of Newark on the way to Paterson NJ, extremely pure and significantly more deadly that cut heroin.

 

The majority of home robberies here are teens, often extremely affluent ones, looking for drug money. Police have a tri-state consortium that works with pawn shops, where stolen goods usually end up. Mostly the homes robbed belong to drug users or people in their circles.

 

Btw, most of the kids here are fine, lol. But there is a growing problem.

[ktgrok]

Yeah, that wouldn't resonate with my son either. I think if she had said there are different conversations for different personalities, it would make more sense.

 

(Mine isn't stereotypical either, but I don't generally agree with gender arguments)

 

Obviously not all guys are into Jackass (the show) type behavior, but I've NEVER seen a video of a girl/woman doing that kind of crazy stupid stuff. We have other things we do, but I think it is true that the hormone levels in boys/men may lead to different ways of acting. 

[ktgrok]

This.

 

In my area, at least, prescription drugs are the 'gateway' drugs of choice. But most don't sell for $5! More like $60 per pill for some drugs.

 

Heroin is very available here. A lot comes into Port of Newark. Much of it gets cut, shipped around the country, cut again multiple times. But there is stuff coming out of Newark on the way to Paterson NJ, extremely pure and significantly more deadly that cut heroin.

 

The majority of home robberies here are teens, often extremely affluent ones, looking for drug money. Police have a tri-state consortium that works with pawn shops, where stolen goods usually end up. Mostly the homes robbed belong to drug users or people in their circles.

 

Btw, most of the kids here are fine, lol. But there is a growing problem.

 

That's why they move from prescription drugs to heroin....oxy on the black market is way more expensive than heroin is, so they start with oxy and end up on heroin. There was a fantastic series about the heroin epidemic on NPR, for anyone that wants to look it up. It would be totally suitable to listen to with a teen. Maybe pop it on while driving in the car. I find hard conversations work best in the car. 

 

Also, on a side note I've been watching a reality show called The Midwives on youtube, and learned that in the UK you can get medical grade heroin in labor!!!! I heard them giving "Diamorphine" and didn't know what that was so I looked it up. It's heroin!

[Kathryn]

I don't know. I actually think alcohol would be far more difficult to get around here. Stores are strict about selling to minors. Of course an adult could buy kids booze or they could steal it from their parents. Heroin is being sold everywhere around here. At this point my kid could not easily walk down the street and buy liquor. He could buy heroin.

 

I guess the concern I have is the fact it is often immediately addictive.

My cousin started off as a teen drinking cough syrup.

[Kathryn]

The Binghamton area, by any chance?

 

Let's just say, that general area.

[Alessandra]

That's why they move from prescription drugs to heroin....oxy on the black market is way more expensive than heroin is, so they start with oxy and end up on heroin. There was a fantastic series about the heroin epidemic on NPR, for anyone that wants to look it up. It would be totally suitable to listen to with a teen. Maybe pop it on while driving in the car. I find hard conversations work best in the car.

 

Also, on a side note I've been watching a reality show called The Midwives on youtube, and learned that in the UK you can get medical grade heroin in labor!!!! I heard them giving "Diamorphine" and didn't know what that was so I looked it up. It's heroin!

Well, if you want TV confirmation, lol.

 

In Midsomer Murders, someone was force fed morphine pills. They metabolized into heroin in the body.

[Alessandra]

Meth is the big problem here. And unfortunately it's not just teenagers, so many older people. Older people, mums with kids. Some of them to from nice average middle age people to people who steal anything from anyone just to get at it.

 

I think you've got lots of good suggestions the only thing I want to add is that sometimes it's not presented as hey these are drugs. Some of them around here look like lollies. Kids need to be cautious about accepting from anyone they don't 100pc know and trust.

Lollies ? I never would have expected that.

[littlebug42]

I work for a Level 1 trauma center hospital.  I am very honest with my kids about the horrible things that can be dangers to them that I see on a regular basis including drug overdoses.  Lately, the top of the list has been drug overdoses and teen suicide.  

[Liz CA]

Like many others we've always been honest with our kids - honest to the T.  This is what this drug will do to your body (or may do pending drug).  We used any drug - caffeine (which we use) to heroin or whatever else was the subject of the time.  This wasn't a one time talk.  This was an on-going talk whenever the subject came up from any of us.  (It wasn't a daily topic either - just whenever.)

 

Then we talked about why so many people choose to use drugs anyway.  What causes that if some are so bad?  

 

These were discussions, not lectures.

 

Then we talked about some alternative options.  What are options we have when we're feeling reckless or down or just plain rebellious?

 

If a person's fate spurred the conversation, we talked about what they could have chosen instead.

 

We also lived a lifestyle of making good choices.  We never get drunk, but can drink socially at times.  We let our kids try alcohol at home or on vacations (ending the thrill of trying it behind parental backs).

 

We've watched videos with parts of all of this - esp what happens to the brain/body.

 

I can't say that any one thing makes a difference, but the whole package seems to have.  Even my youngest who goes to one of the Top 10 druggie schools has had no problems rejecting that lifestyle choice.  He has friends who choose similarly there, so others buck the trend too.

 

Can we take credit?  I don't know.  That's just what we've done.  It's also what I do in smaller bits when I get chances at school... 'cause I think it can make a difference to young minds (or older minds under stress).  I emphasize that "what could you do instead?" discussion.  BTW, the answer to that question varies based upon what else gives the individual their "highs."  It could be running, or reading, or video games, or ???  There's a reason I'm a travel junkie.  When I get down, I plan a trip... it's a great escape for me.  It doesn't have to be an expensive trip.  It just has to break a rut.  Freebies are fine.  In my youth I escaped via horses and critters.  I literally thank those options for saving my life.

 

The part about that we all need to escape is so true - it is what we escape to that makes a difference.

When I talk to clients, we often employ at some stage of treatment the "Alternative Plan." For some it is truly surprising that there are coping strategies and tools and alternatives out there.

 

Sparkly, it may help to know a little more about what heroin does to the brain. It is a form of depressant and helps feel people more balanced when their brains are "on fire." The "on fire" phrase can also be indicative of past trauma, not just abuse. Much like painkillers, it kills that feeling of spinning out of control and numbs everything, including bad memories, fears and hurts. It almost literally slows the speed at which neurotransmitters relay messages in the brain.

 

 

[creekland]

The part about that we all need to escape is so true - it is what we escape to that makes a difference.

When I talk to clients, we often employ at some stage of treatment the "Alternative Plan." For some it is truly surprising that there are coping strategies and tools and alternatives out there.

 

 

The handful of students who manage to get out of the cycle when it's in their family are those who have an escape.  It's incredibly important to let them know options are out there, from running/sports/outdoor life to youth groups/clubs to reading to just finding another mentor they can hang out with (usually coupled with a hobby or something).  There are plenty to choose from, not just those I've listed.

 

Kids only know what they see - from home, peers, or media.  Often those tend to be booze, weed, or stronger options.

 

If we want our kids to know there are options, we have to let them know they exist and model them in our lives.

 

I've yet to meet a teen who didn't need an escape from life at least once in a while.

[Tanaqui]

I do think that the way I was taught in school that lumped all drugs and alcohol into the same dangerous category was probably one of the greatest failings of D.A.R.E.

 

Indeed, people who went through DARE as kids tended to have higher rates of drug use as adults. D'oh! And it's not just counterproductive to take that approach, it's based on bad science.

 

Also interesting is the statistic that 90% of all first-time heroin users are white, and more and more are middle class, debunking the myth of illegal drug users as black, poverty-stricken gang bangers from the hood.

 

Media observers have pointed this out. Now that the second epidemic is all wealthy or middle class whites, suddenly heroin addicts have gone from "superpredators, lock 'em up for life" to "victims of a disease". Honestly, the reversal would be hilarious if it wasn't so sickeningly blatant.

[Ausmumof3]

Here are some links with pics of the lolly look alikes

 

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/dangerous-drug-resembling-pez-candy-hits-perth-streets/news-story/c5208d5c49a44e217c49b565f9fce786

 

http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-02/drugs-shaped-like-banana-lollies-seized-in-geraldton/6996084

 

You can see they don't look exact and I'm not sure if the intention is to deceive or just look good but it would be easy for younger kids to mistake this for lollies.

[Hot Lava Mama]

.

 

.

Edited August 11, 2017 by Hot Lava Mama

[Anne in CA]

If OP's ds is taking the bus he does need to be careful of needles. I find them outside our sandwich shop from time to time, not often, but we have a great place in the back for people to "hide" and do their bad stuff. I tell my one employee to NEVER pick up trash back there. That is the job of other people. Guests can't see that, it's behind the building.

[Tsuga]

Has he seen Trainspotting? 

 

 

I cannot recommend Trainspotting. Way too sexy. Excellent soundtrack. Yeah, they have bad experiences but it almost romanticizes it. Requiem for a Dream I felt was worse, cinematically, but more accurate in that it depicts how drugs take over much more effectively. But there are some extremely, extremely disturbing and graphic scenes in that movie (explicit, graphic prostitution before a crowd) that I would not recommend to a young teen in most cases.

 

But I wouldn't recommend Trainspotting either.

[creekland]

When we watched videos about these things they always came from places like PBS, Discovery, or the Science Channel, etc. - factual things that show the nuts and bolts of happenings within the body/brain.

 

There are enough IRL examples to work off of from the news or school that we didn't have to search far for that aspect.

 

I guess my summary would be:

 

1)  Give kids the facts - not in one discussion, but over time.  This is part of the world, not just an academic topic to be dealt with in a section, then ignored.

 

2)  Let kids know their feelings are normal - esp those feelings that get heightened during puberty or when bad things happen in their lives.  We all get them.

 

3)  Give them ample other options for escape when those feelings happen.  Find what works for them and support them in it.  Trusted friends can help here.  It's not all a mom/dad thing.  

 

4)  Model what you preach.  Let them see you in bad times and how you cope.  (This, of course, assumes that you aren't hooked on substances.  Many times in a family this is how the kids learn to cope this way.)

 

 

[1GirlTwinBoys]

We openly talk to our kids about drugs often.  Honestly, I think one of the best things you can do is let your kids watch Cops episodes.  We've let them watch some the last few years and it actually shows them how messed up people are from doing drugs and just how bad they look.  I think by allowing them to see stuff like this, it makes it "real" vs. us just telling them random things about how bad it is for them.  There was also a documentary on cable last year that they watched about a heroin addict.  It's sad that we feel the need to do this, but unfortunately this is the world we're living in now.  Kids need to be informed and you can't just think sheltering them from these topics is ok IMO.

[Scarlett]

My son is almost 16 now and we have discussions all of the time about people we know and people in the news and how their lives go off in the ditch. We talk about how many people are in prison because of drugs, either directly or indirectly.

 

I think about my teens years and how many people started smoking weed at 13 ( including my Xh) and how a good portion of those went on to pills. Many of them are dead now....accidents, OD, suicide, murdered....it really is astounding how many people from that small town ruined their lives with drugs.

 

My mom always told me that you could become addicted after trying drugs ONE time....that you just don't ever know. And the risk is too great. Couple that with proper respect for mans law, Gods law and our own bodies.....I really always believed her...she convinced me! I never tried drugs. I had one-could have been tragic--incident at age 15 when I got into a car with a drunk boy ( but I had no clue).....but beyond that I towed the line with alcohol and drugs. I didn't even drink alcohol until I was 26.

 

I keep encouraging my son to delay drinking alcohol even past the legal age of 21 because his brain isn't finished growing yet and he will have a smaller chance of becoming an addict if he does delay.

 

I am definitely out of the loop as to what teens are doing...our teens are supervised and not let loose yet....but I do t hear about heroin on the new locally. I am pretty sure meth is still the problem here. And that is bad.

[SparklyUnicorn]

My son is almost 16 now and we have discussions all of the time about people we know and people in the news and how their lives go off in the ditch. We talk about how many people are in prison because of drugs, either directly or indirectly.

 

I think about my teens years and how many people started smoking weed at 13 ( including my Xh) and how a good portion of those went on to pills. Many of them are dead now....accidents, OD, suicide, murdered....it really is astounding how many people from that small town ruined their lives with drugs.

 

My mom always told me that you could become addicted after trying drugs ONE time....that you just don't ever know. And the risk is too great. Couple that with proper respect for mans law, Gods law and our own bodies.....I really always believed her...she convinced me! I never tried drugs. I had one-could have been tragic--incident at age 15 when I got into a car with a drunk boy ( but I had no clue).....but beyond that I towed the line with alcohol and drugs. I didn't even drink alcohol until I was 26.

 

I keep encouraging my son to delay drinking alcohol even past the legal age of 21 because his brain isn't finished growing yet and he will have a smaller chance of becoming an addict if he does delay.

 

I am definitely out of the loop as to what teens are doing...our teens are supervised and not let loose yet....but I do t hear about heroin on the new locally. I am pretty sure meth is still the problem here. And that is bad.

 

I didn't know anyone who smoked weed really at any point in my life.  Nobody ever offered me drugs or alcohol either.  Which is kinda why I have no clue how to exactly talk to my kids from a BTDT perspective. In college the drug of choice was LSD.  Nobody ever offered me any.  I never tried it. 

 

I did talk to them though.  I just told them what I saw on the news.  What my concerns were.  What is so dangerous about heroin in particular (and other drugs).  It was a good talk. 

[Scarlett]

I didn't know anyone who smoked weed really at any point in my life. Nobody ever offered me drugs or alcohol either. Which is kinda why I have no clue how to exactly talk to my kids from a BTDT perspective. In college the drug of choice was LSD. Nobody ever offered me any. I never tried it.

 

I did talk to them though. I just told them what I saw on the news. What my concerns were. What is so dangerous about heroin in particular (and other drugs). It was a good talk.

That is great. Ds 15 will be getting a job soon and his drivers license.....both of which will give him exposure to a variety of people and more freedom. So I do intend to keep,talking to him about the dangers out there.

 

I was sheltered but back when I was in high school they were smoking weed on campus!

[Paige]

I just talk to my kids about stuff like that. Sometimes I'll make them watch a documentary or news story that shows the issue and I point out when famous people have died from drugs. My conversation may be sort of like, "This song is by Janis Joplin. She was a very important musician in the 60s. She died from a heroin overdose. Don't try heroin. It doesn't matter how rich, happy, or loved you are. It can suck you in and kill you." Or, "That's Amy Winehouse. She died from alcohol poisoning. Be careful with alcohol because addiction runs in your family." My kids are tired of me talking about it, but I wouldn't let them participate in the DARE program for homeschoolers, so I figured I better do something.

[Joyofsixreboot]

We've been very blunt about it. People do drugs because it feels good and helps some avoid what they consider insurmountable problems BUT the cost of that is a crappy life, no money, hard to keep a job, disease or death. If it sounds too good to be true it is. Nobody knows who'll get addicted until they are. It is an ugly way to live.nthe upside of a little time feeling good won't outweigh the bad. Be absolutely truthful! Use what matters to each kid...looks, money, sports, health...if it doesn't speak to them it won't register. And in my opinion, much like the discussion of sex, the more plainly and directly you handle it the better. I live in one of the meth capitals of the country and heroin is everywhere too. This is rural America. There isn't a place it's not in. Oh, and discuss don't lecture. JMHO

Edited February 7, 2016 by joyofsix

[idnib]

I came across this newscast and thought of this thread, even though the last post was a week ago. It's a video from the body camera of an EMT who goes to the site of a heroin overdose. The 26-year old is shown near death (he survives) and it should be previewed before deciding to show it to younger children.

[bibiche]

 

Media observers have pointed this out. Now that the second epidemic is all wealthy or middle class whites, suddenly heroin addicts have gone from "superpredators, lock 'em up for life" to "victims of a disease". Honestly, the reversal would be hilarious if it wasn't so sickeningly blatant.

 

We have definitely discussed this part with DS.  It was the spring point for lots of discussions about class and racism in America.  We also listened to the NPR series on heroin and found it very interesting and enlightening.

[PineFarmMom]

My brother watched documentaries about the consequences and the ruining of health and appearance with his kids when they were that age. Meth was a particular problem in the small town area that they lived so he decided to scare them so badly about the consequences that they would run. far!! I don't know but I think heroin really affects ones' appearance. I know that meth does. It destroys skin and teeth. That is quite a deterrent.

Edited February 15, 2016 by Texas T

[Katy]

Trainspotting is definitely edgy.  It was edgy for adults when it came out. And yes, there are moments of nudity, but I would hardly call it sexy. It's not titillating, it's more like - this is what it's like to be on heroin.  Humiliating, all-encompassing and dangerous.

 

Many here would never want their adult child to watch it, just for the language, let alone the stupefying situations drug addicts find themselves in.  I don't find edgy but enlighteningly horrifying stuff to be that threatening to a moral compass.  Edgy/titillating, sure, that might threaten morals, but not edgy/horrifying.

[Guest]

I have lost two wonderful adult children of friends to heroin in three weeks.

 

I'm not remotely attached to the drug culture. Nor were the families of these young men.

 

I don't know what to say to fix this, but I know that this is a scourge on the young generation. Lord have mercy.

 

This isn't just about "low-life" like it seemed to be back in the day. It hits good people and good families. People who will never again have a sorrow-free day.

 

I know what I have written isn't really helpful. It's sharing sorrow with people who never saw it coming from this direction. Mercy.

[SeaConquest]

I cannot recommend Trainspotting. Way too sexy. Excellent soundtrack. Yeah, they have bad experiences but it almost romanticizes it. Requiem for a Dream I felt was worse, cinematically, but more accurate in that it depicts how drugs take over much more effectively. But there are some extremely, extremely disturbing and graphic scenes in that movie (explicit, graphic prostitution before a crowd) that I would not recommend to a young teen in most cases.

 

But I wouldn't recommend Trainspotting either.

Those graphic scenes had the biggest impact on me. Seeing someone debase herself so graphically, then curl up in the fetal position, with a smile on her face after getting high, it's stuff that I will never forget. Yes, Trainspotting has a great soundtrack, but I don't think the music trumps the message of the dead baby scene, for example.

 

I've used a lot of drugs in my life, but I got the message loud and clear that heroin is different.

[Bluegoat]

Yes so true.  I've tried cigarettes.  I didn't get addicted.  Not that I want to encourage my kids to try them!

 

I'd be WAY less concerned over my kids trying pot verses trying heroin.  Again,not that I want them to try pot.

 

I guess I just want to be honest.  What if, for example, they try pot and think this isn't the scary instantly addictive thing mom told us it was.  So what else is mom exaggerating? 

 

No clue if they would think that.  My parents told me stuff that ultimately I discovered was a major exaggeration. 

I think the thing with cigarettes and pot, with regard to being addictive, is that they can really lull people into a false sense of security.

 

I am sure one of the reasons I avoided both was seeing serious addicts, who often were not enjoying the addiction to these things, in my family.  It was expensive and often time consuming - my step-mom who was a heavy smoker would sped hours rolling cigs because she couldn't afford to smoke otherwise, and even then it was a serious financial issue.

 

No one I know planned to become dependant on those substances, it always snuck up on them.

[Tanaqui]

This isn't just about "low-life" like it seemed to be back in the day. It hits good people and good families. People who will never again have a sorrow-free day.

 

It always hit good people and good families.