DRUG ABUSE CAN START VARIOUS WAYS

As parents, we like to think that we've hammered in the "no drugs" mindset
since the time our children could talk. However, no matter how hard you try
to keep your children away from drugs, at one time or another, they'll be
in a situation where they'll have to make a choice that could affect the
rest of their lives.

How does drug abuse start? It can start with getting involved with the
wrong crowd, possibly older kids who are experimenting with drugs. Or,
maybe your child gets in a situation where "every one else is doing it," so
he or she goes along in order to be accepted as part of the crowd. After
that one time, it's easier to do it again and again and again. In my
opinion, peer pressure is worse than it's ever been, beginning with kids
feeling like they have to wear a certain brand of clothing in order to be
accepted, and ending with "following the crowd" by getting into drugs.

Drug abuse affects the whole family - not just the child or person on
drugs. In fact, it affects our whole society. After all, more car
wrecks occur when people are on drugs or alcohol. Crime escalates as
drug users struggle to find money to keep up with their accelerating
drug habit.

(http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/dcf/duc.htm)

And regretfully, most teen-agers and young people feel they're
invincible - that nothing really bad can happen to them. THEY can't be
the ones who get killed in a car accident, and THEY can't be the ones
who overdose on drugs. THEY are very wrong.

With drugs, kids frequently get caught in a situation that is
literally being in the wrong place at the wrong time, doing the wrong
thing that they would never have considered without the influence of
drugs. These kids often end up going to prison and losing years out of
their lives, with drugs and those who sell drugs being the cause.

Did you know that many health insurance policies don't cover substance
abuse expenses? The National Mental Health Association supports
comprehensive health insurance parity, which would ensure that mental
health care, including substance abuse treatment, would have the same
insurance coverage as physical health care. As of June 2002, 32 states
have some sort of health insurance parity statute, which means that
those with mental health or substance abuse problems can not be
discriminated against. Mississippi is not one of those 32 states.

http://www.nmha.org/state/parity/state_parity.cfm