dramatically increasing in America. An estimated
1.8 million teenagers of age twelve and older are
current users of cocaine.
ALCOHOL – Alcohol kills five times more
teenagers than all other drugs combined. (usually
through accidents.) Underage drinking costs
The United States more than $58 billion dollars
annually. In the last thirty days 50% of teenagers
report drinking - with 32% being drunk on at least
one occasion. Many parents feel their teen's
alcohol consumption is OK because it isn't a harder
drug like Crack or Heroine. But here are the real
statistics; 40% of teenagers who started drinking
at age 13 or younger developed alcohol dependence later in life. Teens that drink are 50 times
more likely to use cocaine than teens who never
consume alcohol. 63% of the youth that drink say
they initially got the alcohol from their own home
or a friend's house. Alcohol kills 6-1/2 times more
teenagers than all other illicit drugs combined.
References; “Facts about Marijuana use” Psych
Central,December 2004, The University of Michigan
“Monitoring the Future Study,” “National Household
Survey on Drug Abuse “ (NHSDA),” “Alcoholism
and Drug abuse-Strategies for Clinical
Intervention”, (NY.NY), www.teendrugabuse.us,
and “The National Institute of Justices Arrestee
and Drug Monitoring System.” (ADAM)
only use Marijuana. Of the 14.6 million teen
Marijuana users in 2002, approximately 4.8 million
used it on 20 or more days in any given month.
(reference; Kids and Marijuana)
Between 1991 and 2001, the percentage of eight
graders who used Marijuana doubled from one in
ten to one in five. From age 12 to 13 the proportion
of teens who could buy Marijuana more than
tripled from 14% to 50%. The percentage of teens
who said they could buy Marijuana from a friend at
school went from 8% to 22%! More than 60% of
teens said drugs were sold, used, or kept at their
school. 20% of eighth graders report they have tried
Marijuana. 28% of teens know a classmate or
friend who has tried Ecstasy or abused prescription
drugs that are commonly available in our medicine
cabinets! Teens abusing pain relievers has been
OK- now that we know the facts what do we do
about it? I believe the only way to deal with something negative is to shine the light on the darkness.
But what about the expectations we have for our
children - what about the American dream? Do we
have the courage to go into the darkness to expose
the truth? Careful! The truth is never comfortable.
But ask yourself this: “Is life really about being
comfortable?” Our country is at stake - our children
are at stake - we are at stake, and the “stake” is
burning out of control! We need to put out the fire
by saying- enough!
OK friends- are you ready? Take a deep breath
because you are about to read a “hypothesis” that
could change your perspective on how we function
as a country.
Let’s look back through American history. When
did the decay of American values begin to change?
The fifties were filled with great music and
family fun. Ozzie and Harriet came into our living
rooms. Girls wore The Poodle skirt and danced
The Lindy as they hung out at soda fountains after
school. Elvis had entered the arena while winning
over the hearts of hysterical teenagers. The
American family was still in tact. Kids came home
after school, sat down at the dinner table and
experienced Mom’s great meatloaf. Dad sat smiling
at the head of the table - The American Dream was
alive and well and forging its way towards an
honored place in American history.
But what about the sixties? Come on...You
remember the sixties! Free love, The Cold War,
Marijuana, Vietnam, The Beetles, Jimmy Hendrix,
Woodstock, “Camelot,” and... oh yes - the assassination of President Kennedy. I have my own theory
on that subject.
I vividly remember the announcement coming
over the School intercom that President Kennedy
had been shot - and had subsequently died. All the
kids and teachers were crying. I felt like I had been
kicked in the stomach. I literally was hysterically
crying. My Mom picked me up from school and she
was weeping uncontrollably. Yes- back then we
still had the capacity to feel - to show emotion at
grandiosity proportions. There was no sit down
dinner at our home that evening.
Instead, neighbors came over to hold each other
and mourn. We cooked for each other, cried with
each other and encouraged each others children.
Then we went to bed in the wee hours of the
morning - completely drained. The dream was
over H H