DON'T WAIT TO TALK TO YOUR KIDS

Editor, The Times:

This is in response to recent articles surrounding crystal meth.

While it seems that the motive for the advertisement is to provide
information about a very damaging drug trend, it starts the
discussion at the wrong end of the spectrum.

"You've had a lifetime to talk to your kids about crystal meth. What
are you waiting for?"

You also have a lifetime to talk to your kids about healthy choices.
You have a lifetime to help prevent them from ever picking up a drug like meth.

We live in a culture that normalizes alcohol and drug use for teens.
The use of mood-altering substances becomes a means of
"entertainment" for them. Binge-drinking becomes a "right of passage"
for many kids on weekends and during holidays. Experimentation with
drugs becomes an acceptable way of getting an adrenaline rush. You
have a lifetime to help your child develop talents, abilities, and
interests that will challenge them and keep them interested in
pursuing healthy alternatives.

Research indicates that adolescence is a time when significant brain
development is still occurring. Dr. Aaron White of Duke University
states "there is mounting evidence that repeated exposure to alcohol
during adolescence leads to long-lasting deficits in cognitive
abilities, including learning and memory." Regular use of pot and
other drugs are believed to be responsible for an increase in mental
health concerns among young people.

You have a lifetime to encourage your child to value their intellect
and to use their cognitive abilities to the best of their abilities.

Personal difficulties such as family or relationship issues and
mental health concerns (such as anxiety or depression) are often
underlying reasons that teens turn to drug use. Some teens use drugs
and alcohol as a means of coping rather than simply for "fun". You
have a lifetime to help your child learn healthy ways of dealing with
difficult things.

While no one can argue about crystal meth being a horribly
destructive drug, the real concern begins long before a teenager
begins to experiment with meth. No one wakes up one day and decides
to become a meth addict. They have likely been well on their way to
addiction for a while. And alcohol and pot are most often where they started.

You have a lifetime to learn about the risks and hazards that are
associated with using any kind of mood-altering substance and you
have a lifetime to communicate what you have learned.

We should not be focusing time, energy, and money on the wrong end of
the spectrum. By the time a young person is using crystal meth, there
is significant damage done in their lives. We need to focus on doing
more in order to prevent teens from ever using mood-altering
substances that rob them of their potential, their health, their
minds, and, too often, their very lives. We live in a community that
cares about our young people. Let's work harder at investing in their
lives in ways that help them remain drug-free.

Carrie DeJong

Addictions Counselor

Orchard Recovery Center, Kelowna