It's Just Alcohol, I Can Handle It..Right?

Hey guys! Merry Christmas, (Happy Hanukah) and Happy New Year! I wish you all the best for 2015. One thing I’d like you all to keep in mind as we go into this New Year is the troubling trend in underage drinking. Now, I understand there are a lot of counter arguments about this, with many pushing for lowering the drinking age and what not, but we should really think about this one. I personally don’t think alcohol should ever be consumed. It’s a dangerous line to cross. Many people argue moderation, and that’s a great point, but if you draw the line at never drinking, you won’t ever have to be concerned with figuring out how much is too much. Besides that, it’s expensive. That’s not my point for today, but I thought I would just interject my thoughts on that. (And no, if you do drink alcohol I don’t hate you, or think ill of you, or think I’m better than you, promise! J)

            Another thought I’d like you to consider is that just because something is legal, doesn’t mean that it is good or safe to do. We have gotten this idea that because the government says we can do something that must certainly mean that it’s OK. I hate to burst any bubbles, but that’s just not true. Even worse though, we have also developed an attitude that if our parents or anyone else in authority DOESN’T say something is wrong, that it must be ok or safe. Again, a false, and dangerous, perception.

            I also want you to know that I understand wanting to have fun, and thinking your parents are fuddy duddies who just want to ruin your life. I know many times you feel misunderstood and ignored. The truth is, even though you may feel this way, and you may in fact be misunderstood and ignored, it’s always a good and wise decision to listen to what those in authority over you have to say. Understand that it isn’t how much knowledge you have or don’t have, but life experiences that makes the difference as far as sound decision making goes. That’s why sometimes it seems like you are being treated like you know nothing. It isn’t that your parents think you are stupid or uneducable, but they know that, like themselves at your age, you just don’t have the experience that they do.

            I said all this so that you understand exactly where I’m coming from. Underage drinking is bad…really bad. There were a few angles I could do with this, but I figured facts are usually the best proof one can have. So, if you don’t mind, I’d like to throw some facts at you today, I hope that you will seriously consider this.

            Alcohol is actually the most abused drug for people under the age of 21. It gets worse the younger that you start. It’s been found that by age 15, 50% of teens have had a drink of alcohol, and that by 18, more than 70% have drunk alcohol, with 90% of that alcohol having been consumed by binge drinking. It’s been shown by studies that if you start at or before age 15, you are at a greater risk, five times greater, to develop alcohol dependency than people who wait until they are 21. It makes a difference!

 In 2010, there were 189,000 emergency rooms visits for people under 21 caused by alcohol. One hundred eighty nine THOUSAND!!!! Here’s another doozy! In 2009, approximately 10.4 million young people aged 12-20 consumed more than what was phrased by the study as “couple sips of alcohol.” Also, guess what, during a recent study, 10% of these teens drove after they drank. They drove you guys! This is not ok! This is a big deal! We cannot continue down the road of “oh, that’ll never happen to me.” It can happen and it probably will happen. Five thousand young people die every year from alcohol related crashes, homicides, accidents, and the like.

Even if none of this physical harm or death happens to you, there are other serious affects to consider. Scientific research into the brain has shown us that we still have considerable brain development into our twenties. If we start to drink before we even hit 21, we are going to do some damage to the process. The more you drink, the worse it will be. You can develop memory problems and long lasting mental problems. Alcohol consumption also greatly harms academic performance. This will hurt your future. If you make some bad decisions in high school that effect your grades and what you learn, but later you want to go to college, that’s something that is going to follow you. Our choices have consequences, even if they are not immediate, always keep that in mind.

There are just a couple more serious effects I’d like you to think about, sexual assault and suicide. These two things are very important to us here at TOA. These are two things we would love to see vanish forever! Both of those things increase among teens who drink. The risk of being sexually assaulted, and the risk of committing suicide. Alcohol messes with your brain guys, makes you think and do things that you didn’t ever think you might do. It also makes you extremely vulnerable to everyone around. Not everyone around you has your best interest at heart.

Remember friends, we are all susceptible. I’m know better than you or at any less risk. Everyone is tempted to do things that are bad. Keep in mind that everything you do effects everyone around you. While you might think that what you do only hurts you, it doesn’t. Think of your family, friends, and those you have influence over. Also, keep an eye on your friends. Help each other make good decisions. Maybe make a pact with your friends, that none of you will touch alcohol until you are 21, then help one another keep it. You won’t regret it, and you will be all the better for it. Besides that, who said you HAD to have alcohol to have “fun.” Vomiting into the toilet and having a hangover are not what I would call fun, and I have a feeling you don’t think that’s fun either. Let’s make a change, starting now, and maybe we can make a larger, long lasted impact. A world without underage drinking is a world that is safer and healthier, especially for you. Take it easy and be safe. See ya around!

*Statistics taken from http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/special-populations-co-occurring-disorders/underage-drinking and http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/underage-drinking.htm

The New Face of Heroin

The subject of TOA's radio show this past Monday was concerning "The New Face of Heroin". I will be reiterating some facts about this drug and offering some of my own thoughts as well. This new trend will probably pop up more than once, because not everyone can make the time to listen to the show. However, this information and these messages are important enough to where they ought to be retained one way or another. So here goes ...

1. Who is the face of heroin?

Unless you've done your research, when you think of a heroin user, you might produce a stereotypical image of some twenty-something guy covered in tattoos and a nose piercing in your mind. However, heroin users can just as easily be the perfectly polished kid in the button down shirt and jeans that are not torn in nine places.

Just because someone looks like they might be the type, that doesn't mean they are the type, and the same goes in reverse. The age old saying "Don't judge a book by its cover" certainly applies. Like every situation in life, looks don't define people.

The only set "face" heroin has, is that of danger and destruction, not of any one kind of person.

It is a horrid fact of the modern day that it is increasingly easy to get a hold of many drugs. This has opened doors to even children (especially around the age of 12) to become substance abusers in one form or another.

This is simply another reason why we cannot put a proper picture of a human face to typify all heroin users and have it be applicable in every situation.

2. What is heroin?

Heroin is specifically an opiate, which means that it is from the type of drug that is made from the flowers of poppy plants, or some sort of synthetic sub. Heroin comes from morphine, and morphine, when used rightly, is a painkiller, but this also means that when this substance and its likenesses are abused, it is highly addictive.

In the case of heroin, many people assume that injecting would be the most dangerous way to partake of its effect, but the truth is that in all forms (injecting, snorting, and smoking), heroin is just as potent.

3. Where do the effects of heroin target?

It actually does not take very long at all to enter the brain. This is one of the qualities that makes it especially addicting. And just as people can build up a tolerance for things like alcohol, the same thing happens with heroin. Unfortunately, this drives users to increase their dosage for the same "high" effect. Heroin also affects the user's breathing, building upon the risk of overdose and its fatality. Another issue is the additives that heroin contains cannot be dissolved in the bloodstream. This is able to cause blood clots which can become instantaneously fatal.

Because of the way heroin works on the body, it is also extremely easy to become susceptible to being physically dependent on the drug. Therefore, it is also harder to pull away from and break an addiction. The user will suffer through withdrawals, making it even more difficult to rid themselves of the habit. Those who frequently use heroin can run into the effects of withdrawal in a matter of a handful of hours.

Overall, heroin affects everything about you. Once you choose it, it will swiftly latch onto you to the point where you may feel you have no choice but to continue in the path you have laid out for yourself.

4. When should a user stop?

Well, I would say to anyone who asked, never start for any reason of any kind. However, if you have struggled with substance abuse of any kind, I say stop ASAP. The more you abuse substances, the deeper you are in the hole we call drug usage.

Even if you think, "Oh, well, there's no big deal in trying it once ... just to experiment." It does not benefit you at all. Just because something feels good, that does not mean it is good for you at all in any way.

Don't let yourself become the new face of heroin at any time. Not even for a second. I don't care who else is doing it, it is never a good idea. There comes a time in our lives when we need to stop thinking so much about what everybody else is doing and focus on what's best for us in our lives. I can guarantee you that heroin will never be a good choice for you. Once you begin to use any kind of drug, you are no longer in control.

Many times people turn to things like heroin to distract themselves from their problems, but this will not help. It will only create another, deadly issue to deal with sooner or later.

The good news is that you can regain control. You can say no. Now is the time!

You are never too far gone to receive help, and there are many sources that are available to assist you as well! It is never too late for anything, until we draw our last breath. So don't give up! You only truly fail when you stop trying.

5. Why is it so important to be aware?

Whether we want to realize it or not, this problem is all around us. I don't necessarily mean heroin, but all drugs in general. Being aware helps us to prepare. If you want to learn more about the way substance abuse can affect people, you can find sources for more information by simply going to our site ( www.teensofamerica.net ). The only way we can all change the world is by working together. Let's help each other, and help ourselves.

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to subscribe!

Watch Out for the New Drug

I’m sure many of us agree that we should all say no to drugs, right? They’re addictive, they do absolutely horrible things to your body, and they will kill you. That’s most certainly not worth the temporary high and euphoria they provide. It isn’t worth risking liver and kidney failure, or getting AIDS or hepatitis, right? Of course we would say no. It isn’t worth any of that! Throwing away our lives for only a few moments of pleasure. I’m not going to say that it isn’t fun or doesn’t give pleasure. It does. That’s why people do it. 

The other effects that drugs have are the real kickers though. Cocaine, marijuana, heroin, LSD, meth, and any other drug you want to add to this list are all things from which we need to stay away. Some of us have fallen into the trap already, but there is help, and you can get away from it. Your life isn’t hopeless! You can get back up, brush yourself off, and, with help, straighten out your life. 

This isn’t exactly what I want to “talk” to you about today, though. You see, there’s this new drug floating around, and many people are not aware of its existence. Well, they know it exists, but are totally unaware of the brain altering effects this drug produces -- the life altering effects this drug produces. Some are not affected at all, others are affected a little bit, and still others are pulled in by this drug, helpless to the stranglehold it has on their life. Like all drugs, this drug starts out with “just a little” or “I’ll quit after this” or “this won’t affect me at all.” The very same things we hear people say about the myriad of others drugs that we all know about. This drug has a tendency to sneak into people’s lives, and before they realize it, they are hooked. It behaves in much the same manner as all other illicit drugs do. It makes people feel good, allows them an escape from life, and escape from reality.

So, what does this drug do? It significantly alters brain structure. This drug transforms the brain to suit its own needs. It uses the neurons and a hormone called dopamine, to form a pleasure pathway, building new neuron pathways, increasing its hold on the actual physical structure of your brain. In case it didn’t really hit you…it PHYSICALLY changes the structure of your BRAIN to fits ITS desires.

This drug also begins to affect your behavior, even if you are not using it right at the moment. Isn’t that slightly scary, I mean, a drug actually changing the way you behave. It’s been shown that things that people used to find disturbing, gross, and perhaps even morally wrong, now interest that person on this drug. It literally changes your behavior, because it changes the way you think, because it physically alters your brain! This is pretty serious stuff you guys. People on this drug are also often forced to find more extreme and powerful forms of it. Having to ever increase the amount they take and the number of times they take it!

So what in the world is this new drug! A drug so powerful and yet people don’t seem to recognize it. Well, you might be shocked, but, it’s pornography. YEP, pornography. It behaves in exactly the same manner as drugs, with almost the same physical effects as others, but we all know that it has other horrible effects as well.

By creating fantasies and unrealistic expectations of what your personal life should be, pornography destroys relationships, kills real love, and leaves you lonely for companionship and devoid of any real pleasure. It begins to make think about only the sexual and provocative, and leaves unable to explore the real aspects of relationships and actual emotional feelings. It focuses you so much on your sex drive, that it alone become your main focus of life. This robs you of a future with someone that you may genuinely love. It robs you of that intimacy that you could enjoy with your one “true love” if you will. It takes away that purity and innocence and exposes you to absolutely debase things. Pornography has even been shown to increase violent tendencies in people, and it ruins marriages and homes! The world inside pornography is just one big mess of drugs, alcohol, abuse, and horrible, horrible stuff.

I’m just being real friends. There are things in this world that have to be addressed head on, with some tact of course. Sex isn’t something that we are just supposed to play around with and do whatever we want with, and not expect ill-effects to result. That’s an illusion and fantasy that the world of porn-producers want you to believe; it makes them a buck. They do not care about you at all. They care about themselves and making money. Steer clear of pornography, and if you are having trouble, there is help. I encourage everyone to visit www.fightthenewdrug.org . They have excellent resources and quite a few links to studies revealing all this information.

I want you to know they we are here for you, and our greatest desire is to help you. Even if we only help one person, it will be worth all the effort. Thanks for reading, and share with a friend today, you never know who you might help.

*Studies and information found in this blog were retrieved from www.fightthenewdrug.org .

Internet Dangers

Using the internet is like crossing the street- sometimes, you need it to get somewhere (or accomplish a goal); you can look both ways and still get hit. 

... Pardon me for the violent comparison.

Now, the fortunate thing is, cars do not normally drive through your house. Or, at least, I hope not!!)The issue is, the internet is more than likely frequently used in your home. (But, if you are the type to survive a day without googling something, I'm gonna have to go ahead and commend you.)

In a sense, the internet can be likened to a power tool. Highly useful, and potentially disastrous. You have to know how to handle what you're messing with, or you could get seriously hurt.

Granted, your computer will not come to life and eat your hand or anything, but it can do some serious damage to you as a person.

Let's consider this ...

1. Who is threatened?

Scarily enough, nearly every single person is. This isn't just a matter of a computer getting a virus, either. It's also a matter of a computer ruining your personal security and invading your mind. Pretty much, if you can work a computer to at least find the internet, you are in jeopardy.

Does that make you a little nervous? ... It probably should.

2. What kind of dangers are out there?

There is the technical side of things: viruses corrupting your system and hackers breaking into your files and things. Branching from that, these hackers and viruses (and more) can work to destroy you personally by stealing and using your information. Many hackers are capable of breaking into people's bank accounts and stealing money, opening credit cards in people's names, etc. Therefore, identity theft is a huge side effect from individual's conduct on the internet. We really need to be much more cautious about what we post online, because there are more dangers. Not all people simply violate from behind a screen.

On sites for gaming and social media, dating sites, and all that stuff that can be totally fun if you're into that sorta thing, people can lie. It's super easy to pretend to be someone you're not on the internet. You can find many a story on people meeting new "friends" over an internet site, going to meet them in person, and that meeting turns into a murder or a rape or an escape from the creeper they met. How freaky is that? And it's real! Everybody tends to think "Oh, that would never happen to me." And I sincerely hope that is correct. Even so, we should try to guard ourselves from the possibilities, because it could happen.

People are also not very wise about sharing where they currently are. If you are being stalked and you post a picture of yourself at such and such location, what makes you think that person will not try to find you? I mean, come on.

Or, if a thief is keeping tabs, sees that you're not home, and decides it would be a prime opportunity to go break into your home.

***Think before you post.***

Cyberbullying is another growing internet danger. People will post or comment horrible things to others, cutting them down, calling them names, sometimes anonymously. All bullying is cowardly, but this is especially so- taking out your insecurities on someone else from behind the screen. Because of the lifestyle of society nowadays (meaning the phone is basically always on and right there with you), there is no escape from this kind of harassment. You can't go home and leave it at school or work or wherever it may be. It follows you everywhere.

3. Where are the dangers lurking?

You can really never be too careful. I won't sit here and say that it isn't possible for you to have security on the internet, but technology, no matter how well-equipped, is not infallible.

4. When should you take precaution?

Be mindful always. Honestly, even being cautious won't necessarily guarantee you will never be "attacked" by these threats in some form or another.

For instance, I don't go looking for trouble and sketchy, nasty, promiscuous things on the internet, but I have come across that and seen things I wish I could erase from my mind.

Is that unfair to me that I had to see something I didn't want to because of someone else's messed up idea of entertainment? It absolutely is. This is why we ALL ought to think about what we put on the internet. You may not post dirty, scandalous things, but you can encourage others to keep it clean, and fun, and helpful!

Far be it from me to say that the internet is pure evil and to stay away from it completely.

It is simply a tool! Some people use it to build up, others to tear down.

Sometimes, we are our own worst enemy on the internet. We open ourselves up to the danger, whether it is something clearly sketchy like conversing with a total stranger over some chat or posting a racy photo or maybe it's a picture of you and your friends getting wasted. Remember how many people can find those photos ... Maybe you're trying to get a job somewhere, and they see that picture. Would you want to hire someone who gives off the impression that those photos would give? I'm gonna go with "No."

I say AGAIN:

***Think before you post.***

5. Why is this so essential?

Because it is a major part of our lives. The internet is part of how we communicate, express ourselves, learn, and share. You are on the internet right now. Maybe it was to check in on Facebook, or check your work email, or update your website, or watch funny YouTube videos. I don't know what it was that brought you here, but I do hope that you are being wise in your choices, because the internet affects us all.

The internet is a privilege, don't use it to abuse it.

Be aware, be careful, and above all, be safe.

Thank you for joining me again and don't forget to subscribe to our blog here! We are here to use the internet in a positive way and show you how to change and be a change in this world.

If you'd like to read some statistics and/or a story about a young woman whose choices on the internet almost cost her her life, click on this link: Teens of America Choices Magazine

'Til next time!