WHAT IS THE TRUE GATEWAY TO DRUGS?

What is the TRUE gateway to drugs... marijuana or alcohol? Everywhere you look they refer to marijuana as the "gateway to drugs" but I just don't believe that to be true.

First of all, think of it this way. How can marijuana be the gateway to drugs if it's considered a drug itself? You don't just wake up one day and decide to do drugs. Not to mention, you have to know where to get the drugs. So what better way to open your mind to the idea of experimenting with drugs than alcohol. 

As a teen, when you drink alcohol you are typically among friends. Friends get together, start to drink, and once they are feeling good they are much more open to the idea of trying something else. I cannot tell you how many times I have been to a party and seen teens willing to smoke marijuana, take pills (not knowing what they even are), snort cocaine, or pretty much do anything else that's available. 

These are not the teens that use drugs on a daily basis, but your every day teen that just gets caught in the moment. They may or may not continue to use drugs after they become sober. But the fact remains, the first time a teen will most likely experiment with drugs is when they are using alcohol.

Marijuana simply happens to be the first drug a teen will typically experiment with for one reason... its the most common. But most teens I interviewed who smoked marijuana first didn't venture on to different drugs. They stuck with marijuana. 

I conducted thousands of interviews with American teens and over 90% of them tried a drug for the first time when they were drinking alcohol. Those numbers are astounding!

So I ask again, whats the true gateway to drugs? The answer is alcohol. 

POEM: You Failed To Understand

You saw the grades fall

And the set of new friends.

You thought nothing at all

Of the new styles and trends.

Arguments each night.

And try as you might

You failed to understand, or comprehend.

You got notes from the school.

You heard of pressure from peers.

You felt such a fool

So you didn't interfere.

The actions were rash.

You were missing some cash.

You failed to understand, or comprehend.

It pulled you apart.

Then the missing car keys

Was a punch to the heart

And you fell to your knees.

Death sat in the eyes.

With life paralyzed,

You failed to understand, or comprehend.

By Dr. Jan Musgrove

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Welcome To Hell Poem

This poem is really touching... it shows you the impact that long term drug use can have on a person... and she started using at just 13 years old!!!

''Welcome to Hell," the sign should've read,
Reaching your destination-all in your head!
"Last call for the train heading to Nowhere Fast,"
The memories you create will forever last.
You want to buy a ticket, What's the cost, you ask?
Just hop on board, we'll talk once your trashed.
Close your eyes and picture something grand,
No peeking! Now trust me, and give me your hand!
To a beach with water and the sun shining down,
Open up! No beach here, you're hell bound.
Of course there's water! But it's for your rig and spoon,
Lil' girl, don't be afraid- 14 years old isn't that soon?
The men don't bite, but you'll be messed up beyond belief,
When you do pass out, not remembering- a relief.
Ashamed to face Mommy! Got to have that coke!
Shooting dope everyday, A girl with dreams lost all hope.
I laugh at you as you toss your life in the wind,
To far gone... it's us till' the end.
I'll be there when you loose your pride,
When you forget your morals, I'm at your side.
You'll cheat and steal to have that fix,
Won't take baby to the doctor although she's sick.
Getting a pill- definitely #1 on the list,
Oops. Another appointment baby missed.
Nanny buys diapers because Mommy stays high,
Daddy hits Mommy and the children cry.
After years of this bliss the kids got took,
Mommy is a junkie and fast becoming a crook.
You'll land in jail, a drug addict you remain,
Your heart turns cold as you play the game.
Do not pass go- strip your dignity right here,
This old man wants you, dry your tears,
Quote a price! Self respect long forgotten,
You'd sell your soul to the devil for an Oxycontin.
I told you girl the destination is in your head!
"Welcome To Hell!" Next stop... Well, she's dead.
I told you that I'd stick it out till' the end,
For me, you traded your dreams and kids,
Your Addiction, Life, and your faithful Friend.

© Nelly Barnes

Source: Welcome To Hell, Addiction Poem http://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/welcome-to-hell#ixzz2WizvqOV3 
www.FamilyFriendPoems.com

Why Kids Use Drugs

What are the factors that influence kids to try drugs or avoid them?

from The Complete Guide to Family Health, Nutrition & Fitness

Several factors can exert a significant influence on who will and who won't try drugs:

Attractiveness of drugs. Smoking and drinking are widely promoted as habits enjoyed by sophisticated, fun-loving, attractive and sexy people — what most adolescents long to become. Illegal drugs are "advertised" by those using them in an adolescent's peer group.

The high induced by drugs. If drug use wasn't pleasurable, it would be relatively easy to keep kids and harmful substances separated. But the reality is that many kids enjoy the way they feel on drugs — at least for a while.

Attitudes of parents toward tobacco, alcohol and other substances. Children learn what they live. Smoking, drinking and other drug-related behaviors among parents will usually be duplicated in their children.

Availability of drugs. Finding drugs is not difficult for children and adolescents in most communities, but tougher local standards can help keep drugs out of less-determined hands.

Peer pressure. Peers play a huge role at each stage of a child's or adolescent's drug experience — whether resisting them, experimenting, becoming a user or confronting withdrawal and recovery. The need for peer acceptance is especially strong during the early adolescent years and can override (or at least seriously challenge) a young person's values and commitments. "Just say no" may not mean a whole lot when smoking, drinking or taking drugs determines who is included among the highly esteemed ranks of the inner circle.

There are three obvious implications: First, it is important that kids find their niche in the right peer group(s), among friends who are not only committed to positive values (including a drug-free lifestyle) but also involved in worthwhile and enjoyable pursuits. Second, you may have to intervene if your adolescent (especially in the early teen years) is hanging out with the wrong crowd. Finally, children and adolescents with a healthy, stable identity and an appropriate sense of independence will be more resistant to peer pressure.

Curiosity. Unless your family lives in total isolation, your child will be aware of smoking, alcohol and drug use well before adolescence from discussions at school, watching TV and movies, or direct observation. Some curiosity is inevitable: What do these things feel like?

Whether this leads to sampling will depend on the individual's mind-set; whether an experiment progresses to addiction will in turn depend on the physical and emotional responses to the particular substance.

Thrill-seeking. This desire for excitement is in all of us to some degree and is what propels us toward certain activities: skydiving, roller coasters, movies (where sights and sounds are bigger than life), firework displays, sporting events and so on. Some of these are more risky than others, but none require chemical alteration of the senses to be satisfying.

Unfortunately, many children and adolescents seek drug experiences to produce thrills that normal life and consciousness can't duplicate. Some observers have argued that this desire to alter consciousness is universal, wired into humans much like the desire for food, and that trying to prevent it is as futile as sweeping back the ocean with a broom. Assuming this is the case (which is certainly debatable) does not mean, however, that any and all forms of thrill-seeking should be given free rein. A number of other human instincts are no less universal, but hardly virtuous: pride, greed, hunger for power, the desire to dominate other people, lust, selfishness and so on.

Rebellion. Wayward children may engage in smoking, alcohol and drug use as a show of independence from family norms and values.

Escape from life/relief from pain. For many people — indeed, for most people in the world — life is just plain tough, and normal waking consciousness brings a constant stream of unpleasant sights, smells, sounds and sensations. The prospect of a chemical "timeout" may look very attractive. Furthermore, even when a person has plenty of creature comforts, the prevailing emotional weather can still be turbulent: kids and teens often feel anxious, angry, depressed, oppressed, stressed, bored, unfulfilled.

Whether one is down and out or rich and famous, drugs that bring about relaxation, stimulation or pure escape can be appealing. The strongest resistance to drug abuse therefore arises from an ongoing sense of joy and contentment that transcends circumstances. These attitudes are usually acquired, not inborn. Early positive experiences in the family and an active, wide-awake relationship with God play the most important roles in molding such attitudes.

A conviction that "it can't happen to me" or that the consequences don't matter. Many teenagers and young adults are prone to assume their own invulnerability or immortality, make shortsighted decisions, or shrug off the most fervent warnings about life's pitfalls and perils with a smirk or the defiant pronouncement "I don't care." Shedding this perspective, learning to weigh consequences and adopting a long-range view of life are normal parts of maturing into adulthood. Unfortunately, some who become deeply involved in drug use remain stuck in an immature, self-destructive mind-set.