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Teens underestimate the dangers of meth
Filed under: Teens, Alcohol & Drugs
When I first moved from New York to my current home in Idaho, I expected to find a cleaner, safer, more wholesome place to raise a child. And I did. But I also quickly learned about a drug that I had heretofore been ignorant of - meth. I suppose I had heard of it, but had no idea the damage this highly addictive stimulate can do. An ad campaign changed all that, showing disturbing photos of people before and after they began using meth.
I am not the only person needing a bit of education regarding the dangers of meth. The Meth Project, the same people responsible for that horrifying ad campaign, has just released a study revealing that many teenagers are unaware of just how dangerous this drug is. Nearly a quarter of the teens surveyed said they felt the drug would be "very easy" or "somewhat easy" to get. A third of teens think there is only a "slight risk" or even "no risk" in using the drug once or twice. And about one in four think there are actual benefits to using the drug, including losing weight and dealing with boredom.
"For kids, meth is death,'' said Dr. Julie Gerberding, head of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "And if we really want to do something about improving the survival of our adolescents and help them become healthy adults, we've got to tackle this problem head on.'"
That's what they did in Montana and it seems to be working. A two-year ad campaign is being credited with reducing meth use in that state by 45 percent since 2005 - using those same graphic images. Nationally, meth use didn't change over that same period of time.
Gerberding says that talking to your kids about the dangers of meth at an early age is key to keeping them away from it. That survey showed that of those who have tried meth, 77 percent did so by the age of 15.
I am not the only person needing a bit of education regarding the dangers of meth. The Meth Project, the same people responsible for that horrifying ad campaign, has just released a study revealing that many teenagers are unaware of just how dangerous this drug is. Nearly a quarter of the teens surveyed said they felt the drug would be "very easy" or "somewhat easy" to get. A third of teens think there is only a "slight risk" or even "no risk" in using the drug once or twice. And about one in four think there are actual benefits to using the drug, including losing weight and dealing with boredom.
"For kids, meth is death,'' said Dr. Julie Gerberding, head of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "And if we really want to do something about improving the survival of our adolescents and help them become healthy adults, we've got to tackle this problem head on.'"
That's what they did in Montana and it seems to be working. A two-year ad campaign is being credited with reducing meth use in that state by 45 percent since 2005 - using those same graphic images. Nationally, meth use didn't change over that same period of time.
Gerberding says that talking to your kids about the dangers of meth at an early age is key to keeping them away from it. That survey showed that of those who have tried meth, 77 percent did so by the age of 15.
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
9-20-2007 @ 2:21PM
Cynthia said...Meth scares the living crap out of me. Terrifying. So easy to get, so cheap, so deadly. My daughter is only 2, so I need not worry about her yet, but I fear for the safety of all our children and society at large because of it.
Off topic: I'm so tired, I initially misread your post title as "Teens underestimate the dangers of MATH." Oh my, how Mama needs a nap.
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9-20-2007 @ 4:20PM
Joy said...Cynthia, your "off comment" remark is hysterical!! Hope you got your nap.
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9-20-2007 @ 4:39PM
Sam said...As someone who lives in an area with a high rate of meth use, the drug and its effect on its users disturbs me to no end. I think what's just as important as talking to kids about the dangers of meth, however, is being realistic about the dangers of other drugs. I know that when I was a teenager (not so long ago), a lot of my peers figured out pretty quickly that their parents and teachers and television had lied to them about marijuana - that, while it is a drug and does have its harmful effects, it's not going to make you shoot your best friend or turn you into a gibbering junkie, etc. And that made a lot of people I knew in turn assume that people had also exaggerated the risks of harder drugs like ecstasy or heroin or meth. Drugs are a bad enough idea that parents, teachers, and PSAs need only stick with the facts without exaggeration - honesty will hopefully keep the lines of communication open between parents and kids.
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