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Buzzby

Losing war on drugs, says survey

The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University has released a survey with some interesting findings. One is that the percentage of high schools with "drug problems" has gone from 41% in 2002 to 62% in 2005. What became of the ONDCP claims that they're winning The War on Drugs?

The finding that I personally found most interesting was that 32% of students who see 3 or more R-rated movies a month smoke marijuana. Those who stick to PG-13 have a smoking rate of only 5%. This was thrown in with a bunch of findings that may actually have a causal connection to drug use, like parental approval, moral stance, and concern about harmfulness.

Teens who are a bit more adventurous are likely to want to see R-rated movies and smoke pot than the meeker ones. That's pretty obvious. I expect to see a campaign to prevent kids from seeing the movies to prevent them from smoking pot. That'll work.

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Stephanie S.

Welp. the part about losing the WoD, yeah, uh huh. We know, we know. Now what are they going to do about it?

R-rated movies...my 13 year-old has seen all of maybe three. What's left to look forward to if you do it all and see it all before your time?

To me the correlation between kids who see R-rated movies and smoke more pot than their counterparts is a sign of parenting. If a kid is watching
R- Rated movies and he's say....13, who is letting him watch? I reckon an uninvolved parent...hence, the kid probably has the opportunity to smoke as well. Lack of supervision leads to all kinds of bad news.


peace

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"See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda." —George W. Bush, Greece, N.Y., May 24, 2005 (Listen to audio)

Buzzby

How do you know what your kids are doing when they're not at home or home alone? Very few parents "allow" their kids to smoke pot. Kids do it anyway. I don't see where it would be any different with R-rated movies. Unless you keep your child under your thumb 24/7 there's really nothing you can do other than make sure he knows the facts and knows your feelings.

Stephanie S.

How do I know what my kid is doing 24/7? Well, let's see.

I take the time e to meet the parents of the kids he hangs out with. He is not allowed to go to the homes of kids who are clearly unsupervised.
He knows that if I say to check in at a certain time, and he fails to do so, it will be a long time before he goes anywhere again. (I get images of a kid hit by a car or something...if he doesn't check in I worry...it's not for lack of trust.)

Occasionally, I actually get off my butt and check to see that he is really where he says he is and doing what he says he's doing.

I communicate with his teachers. I attend events at school.

I took the time long ago to provide him with books and communication about sex, drugs, and a myriad of other issues he will deal with as he grows. He knows that I am honest and give the most accurate info he can get. He trusts me, because I have been probably more honest with him that most parents are comfortable being with their kids.

He doesn't have free reign over the choice of movies that are watched in our home. He tries, he talks about the movies I prefer we keep out of our home, and he knows, his day will come and he will be able to watch whatever he chooses. Recently, I gave him the option of renting some horror movie, can't recall which one, he consciously chose not to get it. He understands the concept of 'gratuitous violence' and believes it’s a waste of brain power to honor it by watching it. (He was taught that, kids don't get it on their own, usually.)

My son is being raised knowing that no matter what, I will always be here...friends may come and go, but Mom will always be the person he can trust more than anyone, ever. He knows that a kid who offers him drugs or alcohol is no friend at all. He believes it.



I have a bet with my son that someone will offer him drugs, alcohol or a view of porn within the next two years. (The bet came after a lengthy discussion about drugs and alcohol.) He will win $100 if I am wrong...funny enough, we have such open communication, he will actually trust me enough to tell me when it happens...and it will happen.


I don't assume that "everything will be fine"...I was hell on wheels as a teenager and it was 100% from lack of involved parenting.

When he is home alone, he calls me or his step-dad.
He tells me about the book he just read, or that he's going to play basketball, and he actually does what he says he's going to do. Again, if he doesn't, the "trust account" will be in the red and that’s a big bummer, for all of us.


When my son was nine-years old, a camp counselor said about my son, "he has more integrity than most adults I know have in their little finger." People consistently remark about his good nature, his humor, his exceptional manners (He like, opens the door for people, says please and thank you and shows genuine appreciation when someone does something nice for him.)
My son wants to be trusted, he knows the rewards involved...he knows I can't stand having to give consequences for bad choices. It just makes us both feel bad.

Bottom line, it ain’t that difficult to keep tabs on your kids. I think it backfires when checking on your kid is done with distrust, lack of compassion, lack of empathy and overbearing attitudes.
When you consistently treat your child lovingly, they know why you care.

It’s a matter of prioritizing, personal choice and I guess, as a parent, one has to decide if their kid or other things in their life are more important.


peace