NDC ‘pushes’ facts about drugs to teens
(CNS): As the battle continues to keep local teens away from drugs, including the legal ones such as tobacco, booze and prescription drugs, theNational Drug Council used the Drug Facts week recently as an opportunity to accurately inform and educated them on the risks to their health, success in school and the dangers of drugs. The NDC said when teens are given the facts they will be better equipped to make wise decisions for themselves and shatter the myths that currently exist about drug use. Working to encourage young people to seek factual answers from experts about drugs, drug abuse and addiction, the NDC said this was about hosting honest informative conversational sessions with teens about how drugs affect the brain, body and behaviour.
Students joined in on a number of the week's activities between the 28 January and 3 February, as well as the annual Poster Competition.
“Teens have the opportunity to creatively design and submit a poster with facts about drugs, slogans or myths. All entries should depict this year’s theme 'Shatter the Myths' and be submitted by 28 February 2014 to be judged. The winners in each category will be awarded a grand prize and the overall winner’s poster will be used by NDC for promotional purposes,” the NDC said.
As the week came to an end, the NDC encouraged parents to talk with their teens about what they know and research information using reputable sources.
“In the technological world we live in today, information is easily accessible to our children. Often they are bombarded with drug and drug abuse information from various outlets such as television programs, movies, music, the World Wide Web or simply from peers,” the NDC said, as it explained the importance of fact-based education.
“One way to invalidate the myths of drugs and drug abuse is for us to aim at shattering the myths by educating our teens. The National Drug Facts Week is a health observance week first launched in 2010 by the National Institute on Drug Abuse designed to address the myths about drugs and drug abuse using education as its platform. “
The NDC warned that too many teens use drugs just to experiment, as more than 70% of students who responded to the most recent survey said they began using illicit drugs mainly “just to try it”.
“Unfortunately, as parents it is just as necessary for us to gain factual information which at present suggests that many of our teens are unaware of the risks involved of just trying drugs,” the NDC warned.
Despite the feeling that young people are extensively abusing drugs and alcohol as a result of the high levels of drug fuelled crime in Cayman, according to the NDC 2012 student drug survey less that 50% of teens admitted drinking alcohol and just 12% of using ganja. The findings of the Student Drug Use Survey 2012 are posted below and officials from the NDC said that next survey will be undertaken later this year.
Meanwhile, the NDC is also reviewing and updating the National Anti-Drug Strategy, which expired at the end of last year, and work is underway on a new four year plan, which will also review the achievements and success of the previous plan.
For more information go to the National Drug Council’s website www.ndc.ky or take the National Drug IQ quiz www.drgfactsweek.abuse.gov
Category: Science and Nature
CNS you've put the wrong word in inverted commas…"fact" would have been a better choice. I can still remember the "facts" I was taught about drugs and my surprise when I saw first hand that they were completely at odds with reality. All that stuff about addiction and the inevitable progression to hard drugs if you ever smoke pot even once is just rubbish. The biggest potential harm associated with smoking pot is getting a criminal drugs conviction. I'm not saying drugs are good or that they don't carry risks, but teenagers can smell BS a mile away.
At the end of the day, teenagers will do as they please.
Forcefully telling them to not do something will only make them want to do it.
Regardless of how much you try to show them that they should not do it.
They have to either feel the full consequences of their actions/understand how badly the use of drugs will affect them.
Posters and signs are not going to work for that long, to them it is maybe just a "project".
Being that they have them (drugs) basically at their disposal, it makes the process of trying to stop them a lot harder.
Just pay more attention to the teenagers.
Inspire them to be great and do greater.
You have to instil them with the right knowledge and values that they NEED.
Even if that means showing them what it does to people.
Open their mind to life, and show them the path that they are taking isn't the right one.
Find someone in a close age range with them, to try to inspire them, if you have to.
Whatever works.
This generation is going to suffer if we continue to take the old route.
What may have worked for others, won't work for them.
We cannot candy coat the harsh reality of the things that are going on in this world today.
You have to make them understand.
I believe, because most parents have that "because I said so" type of discipline, we don’t realise that the less we try to explain and SHOW them the weight of their actions, the more they want to experience the rush of the forbidden.
Please be smart parents, this generation is getting worse. Nip the bad habits from now, so that the future of this generation will be bright.
"Open their mind to life, and show them the path that they are taking isn't the right one." Why is having some fun not the right path? For the vast vast majority of causal drugs users their experiences are positive ones. That is why we did it.
Waiting until they are of age, and being able to make the right decisions, is a wiser choice.
Children/teenagers and drugs should never mix.
have you seen what children/teenagers look like 20 years after they started doing drugs?
Though some can over come it, most cannot.
At that age, that should not be an option.
They have to first, know themselves, flaws, fault, and what they want from life, and be stable emotionally and mentally. Then maybe be able to attempt doing/trying it.
Drugs are not for the weak at heart…At their age they are so vulnerable, and easily influenced.
For them it is all about the thrill, not the consequences of the thrill.
You become stuck in a beautiful "trans" but what happens when you sober up?
Long drug use usually leads to split personalities for those who do it to "Kill Pain" and sometimes much worse severe depression.(which in some cases lead to suicide)
Drugs do not take away your problems. They only PROLONG them.
And without a doubt will easily lose youself, and slip into the state of depression which is disguised as "not caring" .
I do not want that for our teenagers and children, and you shouldnt either.
Be smart about this.
Don't think you are fighting for rights when your parents/loved ones are up every night crying, worrying and praying.
Do you really know or care how much this will affect the people you love?
And if you do, how much do you TRULY care?
Do you see what you are doing to yourselves? BE SMART If you do care think of the pain you are causing to those who you matter most to you. Then imagine losing them. What happens next? will you continue to do the things they begged you not to? Didn't think so..
EDUCATE YOURSELF do not let drugs be your main priority, there are so many other things Life can offer.
Find yourself, find God, and inner peace THEN MAYBE you can attempt to think of doing drugs #FoodForThought
The "fact" is that for the vast majority of people their experiences of drugs are positive and they are great fun. That is why people drink and it is why they use drugs, which tend to work better at producing positive effects than alcohol. Better to be realistic and accept the young will try drugs but ensure that addressing the minority who go onto have trouble know there is positive support than to push the outdated Nany Reagan "Just Say No" campaign marginally modified for the modern era.