The epidemic is rapidly growing and addicts are younger and younger... why are kids of today so willing to throw their lives away leaving us with useless strung out young adults that are nothing more than scabby blisters on society?

Why don't they want more for themselves? :confused: The article is about Ohio, but it easily applies to our area.


Until a few years ago, addicts were overwhelmingly men who lived in urban areas, many of them from racial minorities. An alarming number of those entering treatment programs in Ohio -- a good measure of addiction -- are young, he said. Most are white. They are from poor rural counties and wealthy suburbs. Many are girls and women.


Crackdown on painkiller abuse fuels new wave of heroin addiction - Open Channel (http://openchannel.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/07/12091096-crackdown-on-painkiller-abuse-fuels-new-wave-of-heroin-addiction?lite)

I don't know why and I'm hoping mine make good choices as they grow, I have 2 in O.C. this week and I pray things stay well, outside influence can be the downfall........

I don't know why and I'm hoping mine make good choices as they grow, I have 2 in O.C. this week and I pray things stay well, outside influence can be the downfall........

What is O.C.?

My opinion is a lot of these kids, not all, are starting abusing things at a younger age because of influences inside their own homes - parents and older siblings, TV, video games, etc.

The acorn does not usually drop far from the tree.

What is O.C.?

My opinion is a lot of these kids, not all, are starting abusing things at a younger age because of influences inside their own homes - parents and older siblings, TV, video games, etc.

The acorn does not usually drop far from the tree.

Ocean City, Md......It's senior week

This is what Capt. Daniel Alioto, the Commander of St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, Vice/Narcotics Unit had to say.

SMNEWSNET.com: Just how bad is the drug situation in St. Mary’s County? That is a lot of pills.

ALIOTO: That’s a difficult question to answer. Drug usage in the county has gone through a transition from regular street drugs – Marijuana, Cocaine and Meth to prescription drugs in recent years and now we’re experiencing another transition from prescription drugs to heroin – a much more dangerous narcotic than pills.

The War on Drugs, in Transition in St. Mary (http://smnewsnet.com/archives/2052)

War on Drugs in Transition- Conversation with Captain Alioto Part 2 | Southern Maryland News Net (http://smnewsnet.com/archives/2483)

Final Installment (http://smnewsnet.com/archives/2906)

Excerpt from the first link provided by Danzig cut/pasted for all of those that don't think we need to arrest and jail drug users:


ALIOTO: By ripple effect, I mean the non-drug crime caused by drug addiction and usage. As people are addicted to narcotics, they tend to
commit other crimes in order to support their drug habit. In recent times we have seen an influx of thefts, burglaries, motor vehicle vandalism and theft, false reports and more – all of which tie up valuable resources and take deputies off the streets.

Unfortunately drug abuse has hit extremely close to me. several friends and family members. Here's my take.


WITHOUT EXCEPTION every one of these people I know have an issue with..get this..."boredom" or what they perceive to be boredom. They cannot sit in the house and read a book or just chill. They have all had super amped up childhoods, full of vacations, limitless toys and stimulation..parents who have taken them everywhere and done everything with them since they were tiny. CONSTANT stimulation from activities, "learning," television, video games, "educational" experiences. A dear family member of mine had what a lot of people would think was the greatest childhood ever..constant trips and vacations, trips to Fl constantly, parties, games, friends over every day, activities GALORE...but what he didn't have was anyone to teach him to have downtime, to not be constantly stimulated and "entertained" now to him, having a job is "boring" ..everything is "boring" if he isnt smacked up. Unfortunately he was introduced to prescription pain pills legitimately, he was in a horrific car wreck..from there he realized he liked them, they made things less "boring" and now several years later he is a card carrying heroin addict. He's smart, funny, good looking, has a loving family..and yet there he is, with track marks.

Another family member (step family) same issue. SHe was given everything since birth. I used to be so jealous on christmas. SOOO jealous at all of the things she got. She is younger than me and every christmas would get the latest electronics, toys, and CASH. They took her everywhere, let her do everything..,concerts, activities, vacations..constantly and even from a very young age. Again..young, beautiful, intelligent (extrememly so, actually) and yet she will do any drug that comes within a 10 mile radius.


They don't even know each other, and they are so similar.



I am of the opinion, from my own experiences that their are two main issues at play here. 1, is the lifestyle people are giving their children. The constant stimulation, constant "educational experiences," constant demand for entertainement..look, there are dvd players in cars because some kids cant entertain themselves on a 20 min trip to walmart..leapfrog books that read TO you and play sounds and music, video games for hours on end, constant tv, countless activities, forced "family time" that according to popular mags needs to include some kind of structured activity, it goes on and on. We don't alow children to be bored, to entertain themselves, to not be engaged in something every moment of every day. DOWNTIME, BEDTIMES, CALMING RITUALS AND ACTIVITIES. We spend so much time "teaching" children everything and pushing them to "follow their dreams" we totally forget that it is more important to prepare them for adult life where everything isn't a circus,a nd we can't be entertained every moment, and we do things we don't want to, because we have to.
2, is of course the fact that narcotics are handed out like tic tacs. For everything from cramps to back pain. Teens have a false sense of security because they think they are "safe" and they are somehow morally superior to people who do "street drugs"


I have several addicts and recovered addicts in my life. They could practically be the same person they are all so similar. none were abused or neglected, none had more than an average amount of strife in life. And yet none of them could face life as they got older without some kind of chemical. A constant pursuit of excitement and entertainment.

I have several addicts and recovered addicts in my life. They could practically be the same person they are all so similar. none were abused or neglected, none had more than an average amount of strife in life. And yet none of them could face life as they got older without some kind of chemical. A constant pursuit of excitement and entertainment.
I think you hit the nail on the head, Lib. Your observations make complete sense.

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Exactly my point... why do they feel the need to do something obviously stupid and Liberty's observation would answer the 'toothpasting' too.

Exactly my point... why do they feel the need to do something obviously stupid and Liberty's observation would answer the 'toothpasting' too.

The illegal aspect of it would be my guess...plus their friends are doing it.

It comes down to parenting. Be upfront. Kids hear "don't do drugs, or drink" all the time, and their friends aren't dropping dead from it, so they think it's ok.

The illegal aspect of it would be my guess...plus their friends are doing it.

It comes down to parenting. Be upfront. Kids hear "don't do drugs, or drink" all the time, and their friends aren't dropping dead from it, so they think it's ok.Why should parents stop telling their kids not to do drugs or drink... just because you don't drop dead doesn't mean you are okay. We ALL know people who do it that are still alive and kicking, but not okay. My question was what makes them chose that path in life for themselves rather than try to become a productive member in society... I still believe Liberty has the best answer.

Why should parents stop telling their kids not to do drugs or drink... just because you don't drop dead doesn't mean you are okay. We ALL know people who do it that are still alive and kicking, but not okay. My question was what makes them chose that path in life for themselves rather than try to become a productive member in society... I still believe Liberty has the best answer.

I'm not saying that parents should do that. I'm saying that kids aren't stupid, and if you(not you personally) used to smoke pot when you were their age, don't deny it. Yet, we've got all these DARE programs, and what-not telling kids DON'T DO DRUGS, they KILL! In reality, they see otherwise, leading them to not believe what they've heard.

Tell them, yea, I did it, I watched a lot of my friends go down the wrong path, but I chose not to, and that's why you get to live the "good life".

As far as choosing your life outcome, sometimes it just happens. I bet if you go ask a homeless person if they chose to be homeless, they'd say no. Trauma in one's life, parenting, friends, etc. all play a major role in what someone chooses to do with their lives. It's up to the INDIVIDUAL to make sure they follow the path they want, and live the life they want.

I'm not saying that parents should do that. I'm saying that kids aren't stupid, and if you(not you personally) used to smoke pot when you were their age, don't deny it. Yet, we've got all these DARE programs, and what-not telling kids DON'T DO DRUGS, they KILL! In reality, they see otherwise, leading them to not believe what they've heard.

Tell them, yea, I did it, I watched a lot of my friends go down the wrong path, but I chose not to, and that's why you get to live the "good life".

As far as choosing your life outcome, sometimes it just happens. I bet if you go ask a homeless person if they chose to be homeless, they'd say no. Trauma in one's life, parenting, friends, etc. all play a major role in what someone chooses to do with their lives. It's up to the INDIVIDUAL to make sure they follow the path they want, and live the life they want.

Gotcha. Yeah, I hear you... I've already had the discussion about underage drinking with my 19 year old and yes, I did talk about how I was 19 when I first experimented with alcohol...:alkies:

Ours was a real discussion... I don't condone underage drinking and gave him the reasons why it's not a good thing based on my actual observations and experiences and I sat and really listened as he gave me his observations and experiences.

I will never be a believer in "well they'll do it anyway so I might as well let it be", but I'm also a realist and know it happens. My children know where I stand on the various subjects and they have that to take away with them when they are faced with decisions in life. They also know they are responsible for whatever consequences come from the decisions they make in life.


What I can't comprehend is how it seems so many young adults nowadays don't consider consequences or even worse don't fear them.

Gotcha. Yeah, I hear you... I've already had the discussion about underage drinking with my 19 year old and yes, I did talk about how I was 19 when I first experimented with alcohol...:alkies:

Ours was a real discussion... I don't condone underage drinking and gave him the reasons why it's not a good thing based on my actual observations and experiences and I sat and really listened as he gave me his observations and experiences.

I will never be a believer in "well they'll do it anyway so I might as well let it be", but I'm also a realist and know it happens. My children know where I stand on the various subjects and they have that to take away with them when they are faced with decisions in life. They also know they are responsible for whatever consequences come from the decisions they make in life. What I can't comprehend is how it seems so many young adults nowadays don't consider consequences or even worse don't fear them.




And THIS is a huge part of the addicts I deal with. All of them live with family. While being addicts. My mother would never allow me to live at her house, eat her food, etc while I was being a useless drug addict. Parents today are guilted into keeping ADULTS at their house because of the big bad world, or the bad economy, or they can't HELP it, addiction is a disease blah blah...and if a brave set of parents decided to not be guilted, then entitlemnets pick up the slack. There ARE no real consequences, at least none that are felt as a teen. Sure, one day my family members are going to look around and think, i'm 40 years old and have nothing to show for life, but now in their late teens and twenties, those thoughts to not occur to them..they have food, shelter, and get to run around smacked up. Had they pressure to find somewhere safe to sleep, or food to eat it would be a different story. My grandmother lets heroin head live with her. She's afraid he will get hurt on the streets. But thats exactly what he DESERVES. His choices led him directly to that fate. To keep him from the logical conclusion to his lifestyle only serves to continue to allow him to be an addict unrestrained.

I have no answers. I think Liberty is pretty close to the mark. Thankfully my kids have yet to choose this path but that doesn't mean they won't. They frequently come home telling stories of friends that shocked them by admitting they were into drugs.

I've warned them, they've seen people go downhill, they know that there are alcoholics on both sides of the family. Yet I know my oldest has had alcohol and his father just can't wait until the boy is 21 so they can be drinking buddies.

Some days I get totally freaked just thinking that my second son who is so focused on the future and college and career will feel pressed to try something or have something slipped to him and he'll end up like Jim Ignatowski.

And yeah I'm worried about the girl too. She lectures her friends now but she's a little social butterfly so that pressure is going to be on her.

This thread makes me so sad.

This thread makes me so sad.
Did you ever find help for you and your family?

The epidemic is rapidly growing and addicts are younger and younger... why are kids of today so willing to throw their lives away leaving us with useless strung out young adults that are nothing more than scabby blisters on society?

Why don't they want more for themselves? :confused: The article is about Ohio, but it easily applies to our area.


Until a few years ago, addicts were overwhelmingly men who lived in urban areas, many of them from racial minorities. An alarming number of those entering treatment programs in Ohio -- a good measure of addiction -- are young, he said. Most are white. They are from poor rural counties and wealthy suburbs. Many are girls and women.


Crackdown on painkiller abuse fuels new wave of heroin addiction - Open Channel (http://openchannel.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/07/12091096-crackdown-on-painkiller-abuse-fuels-new-wave-of-heroin-addiction?lite)

When I was in my early growing up years; still growing up; it was smoking cigarettes or weed. Then it was the other "hardcore" things. None of which I took part in/of. With what is out there now, I would be VERY vigilant about looking for behavioral and/or physical changes in my kids; if I had any.
Although, my Neices' and Nephews' well being is always on my mind.

Did you ever find help for you and your family?

She fled the state. I havent heard from her. I made an appointment with a therapist though... just to talk to someone.

Thanks. :huggy:

She fled the state. I havent heard from her. I made an appointment with a therapist though... just to talk to someone.

Thanks. :huggy:Glad to hear you are seeking help...:yay:

There's soo much to this issue and not simply one answer.

One thing that I've seen that causes kids to "partake", is pressure from society & the media. Most kids today get bored to death with everything after a short time. They seem to always need to strive to reach another level; A higher high. This teaches them that nothing has value for very long. Everything has to change, nothing is ever good enough to be used, kept or worn for more than a year (clothing, cell phones, boy/girl friends, marriages, etc).

Of course more parental involvement is where it all must start. Lack of both parents quality involvement in their lives causes kids to seek attention elsewhere. Gangs aren't always large groups of bored, angry kids. Sometimes only 4 or 5 gives kids their "fix".

Then there's uncontrolled sex which is more powerful than most drugs and causes many more problems, IMO...

...addiction is a disease blah blah...

I heard this the other day on NPR....I said BS.....and changed the station.

-----

I still believe it is all about the parents. Outside influences have a large role to play in substance abuse, but really, if the parents don't take the time to be with their children (outside of holidays, giftgiving, and vacations) it will be a miracle if the kids over grow up at all.

Many adults (that happen to be parents as well) want it all.....the house, the job/career, the money, the friends, the status, and children. Many of these adults don't know how to effectively sacrifice for their children to grow up have at least as good a shot as they had. I see it everyday.

---

I know this goes a bit heavy on parents, but it is true. I am a parent. I know. Everything I do (and don't do for that matter) effects my kids one way or another...until after they go to bed. Then, it is wife time :evil:

There's soo much to this issue and not simply one answer.

One thing that I've seen that causes kids to "partake", is pressure from society & the media. Most kids today get bored to death with everything after a short time. They seem to always need to strive to reach another level; A higher high. This teaches them that nothing has value for very long. Everything has to change, nothing is ever good enough to be used, kept or worn for more than a year (clothing, cell phones, boy/girl friends, marriages, etc).

Of course more parental involvement is where it all must start. Lack of both parents quality involvement in their lives causes kids to seek attention elsewhere. Gangs aren't always large groups of bored, angry kids. Sometimes only 4 or 5 gives kids their "fix".

Then there's uncontrolled sex which is more powerful than most drugs and causes many more problems, IMO...
I think you hit the media side of it right on the head.
And, when something else is being discussed like, guys in dresses using the womens room, or any other decay of morals, there are some that ask,, what does it harm you if????
Well it does harm us as a society, the kids pick up on these things and its natural to them, must be ok. Each generation in this country is slipping farther down a road that pretty soon there will be no return from.

Im sure there are those that remember the Bra commercials from the 60s, they couldn't use real women on TV to show them, now look at what you see on prime time.
Remember when Ricky and Lucy had to have separate beds? now what, prime time shows Ricky and Lucy (or their equivalent) having sex.
In the 50s you couldn't even show a toilet on a TV show.

Look at that 70s show, all those kids do is sit around smoking dope in the basement. Do you really think that the kids watching it are not going to pick up on this and maybe think about giving it a try?

I think you hit the media side of it right on the head.
And, when something else is being discussed like, guys in dresses using the womens room, or any other decay of morals, there are some that ask,, what does it harm you if????
Well it does harm us as a society, the kids pick up on these things and its natural to them, must be ok. Each generation in this country is slipping farther down a road that pretty soon there will be no return from.

Im sure there are those that remember the Bra commercials from the 60s, they couldn't use real women on TV to show them, now look at what you see on prime time.
Remember when Ricky and Lucy had to have separate beds? now what, prime time shows Ricky and Lucy (or their equivalent) having sex.
In the 50s you couldn't even show a toilet on a TV show.

Look at that 70s show, all those kids do is sit around smoking dope in the basement. Do you really think that the kids watching it are not going to pick up on this and maybe think about giving it a try?

TV...what TV?.......who allows their kids to watch this crap?

I've seen what it on tv these days. 99% of it is ridiculous, obnoxious, stupid, flashy BS, and the rest is commercials for the more ridiculous, obnoxious, stupid, flashy BS.

The only activity the TV is used for is watching movies....which are slim pickings these days for kids. We wind up going on the internet and watching the cartoons of old. Like tom n' jerry and bugs bunny, or what not.

TV...what TV?.......who allows their kids to watch this crap?
I've seen what it on tv these days. 99% of it is ridiculous, obnoxious, stupid, flashy BS, and the rest is commercials for the more ridiculous, obnoxious, stupid, flashy BS.
The only activity the TV is used for is watching movies....which are slim pickings these days for kids. We wind up going on the internet and watching the cartoons of old. Like tom n' jerry and bugs bunny, or what not.
TV today is a baby sitter. Many kids watch it w/o their parents knowledge.

And look at all the threads started on here that ask who watched this or that show. 90% of the shows on TV today use laugh tracks because NO ONE would laugh at them otherwise. The "shoot em up/kill me" ones have gone overboard with special effects and we wonder why people are out of touch with reality???

Blame it on Vinny!

pHpGvRWakhY

http://www.thelocal.se/41546/20120620/

The study first examined the alcohol consumption habits of 14- to 17-year-olds, before catching up with the subjects again when they were in the late twenties.

It found that 27-year-olds who drank too much often had consumed very little or no alcohol when they were teenagers, the Dagens Nyheter (DN) newspaper reports.

"More than every other young adult who had risky drinking behaviour in our study didn't drink at all as a teenager," Stockholm University sociologist and study co-author Thor Norström told the newspaper.

"That's surprising because previous research gave the impression that those who drink a lot in their teen years are the ones who have alcohol problems later in life."

The study, co-authored with Hilde Pape from the Norwegian Institute for Alcohol and Drug Research and published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, looked at the drinking habits of teenagers in Norway.

I grew up in the 60's and 70's. Had several friends who did drugs. Saw the effect it had on them and was not so anxious to try it. Also, I was afraid of what my parents would've done to me if I did drugs. When my kids were growing up, I told them, all the time, everyday, drugs will kill you. No if's, ands or buts. Thats it, bottom line, do drugs and die. To my knowledge, they never did. Now my daughter is telling my granddaughter the same thing. You as a parent, inmo, must be the one to reinforce the consequences of drug, alcohol and poor decision making. Know who your children are spending time with at school and leisure time. Know the parents of the kids. Search their rooms, I had no problem nosing thru my kids rooms. Check the email and facebook accounts. If you find they have two different accounts, one you can access, one you cant, pull the plug on the computer. Dont buy them smartphones, if they're somewhere they're not supposed to be, chances are they aren't going to answer when you call anyway. Dont buy them 5.0 mustangs when they get their license at 16, THEY DONT KNOW HOW TO DRIVE! In other words, BE A PARENT.

'People who come from a privileged background are generally shielded from negative outcomes in life.'

Among 12- to 17-year-olds, introductions to heron have increased 80 per cent since 2002, according to data obtained by NBC. The prevalence of heroin is often connected to prescription pain medication, like Oxycontin, which is legal and easily accessible to some teens.

Heroin offers the same high, only more intense at a cheaper price.

'It’s hard to talk about the heroin problem without talking about the prescription drug problem,' said Rafael Lemaitre, of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, to NBC.



Painkillers are now replacing marijuana as the new gateway drug.

Prescription painkillers cost between $20-$60, while heroin costs just $3-$10 a bag. The stigma of shooting up is also gone, as new versions of the drug allow users to simply snort or smoke it. Most end up shooting up within weeks.



Read more: Suburbia is the new home of heroin abuse: More teens turn to opiates than ever before thanks to prescription painkiller addiction | Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2162478/Suburbia-new-home-heroin-abuse-More-teens-turn-opiates-thanks-prescription-painkiller-addiction.html#ixzz1yRKu7sOE)