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

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 .

Teen Pregnancy: Sex Has Consequences

If the above photo kind of feels like a slap in the face from reality, then it has done its job. I really want to touch on accountability in this post, and I am certain I will get to it. I like to be at least somewhat knowledgeable about the things that I post on. I don't want this to be all about what I think, but my thinking on these matters stems from what is.

I just finished reading the testimonial of a girl called Berenice who is now my age and has a two year old son. I sat here on my couch thinking about how I would have felt two years ago to find out I was pregnant and to experience all that comes with that: the responsibility; the heartache; the fear; the mental, emotional, and physical struggle ... I can honestly say I don't know how I would've done it, if I in fact could have.

Right now, I'd like to show you some statistics, and these are only a select few from a massive and detailed list.

1. Who?

-Just about 1 million teen girls become pregnant each year.

Go ahead and read that number again.

-And even with the numbers declining in the U.S., it is still the carrier of the highest rates of teen pregnancy, births, and abortions.

These two facts alone are enough to break my heart. Although, understand this: I sincerely do believe that every life is a gift from God. Whether you share that opinion or not is up to you.

2. What's the deal?

"Sex has consequences" says it all.

Let's face it, even if every precaution there is to have protected intercourse is taken, there is no guarantee pregnancy will not occur. Bottom line- the only way it is possible to be sure this won't happen is to not have sex. That should be a lot simpler than we make it to be.

The thing that upsets me most, personally, is that we say "It's my life to do with what I will," and as true as that is, in cases like this, you are not the sole factor involved. If you take the action, you had better be prepared to take the responsibility.

The worst part is, how many times we do not take the responsibility.

I was slightly encouraged to read that most teen mothers do give birth to their babies and most even keep them. That is amazing. I am completely pro-life. Abortion is not an option to me. If it's anything other than keeping the baby, then I am all for adoption- never abortion. (Again, if you don't share in my belief, that is your choice. I don't expect everyone to share my views.)

The thing that was very sad to read was concerning the fathers.

80% of teen fathers do not marry the mothers of their children.

Guess what that most likely means?

Unfortunately, that child is probably not ever going to have a relationship with its biological father. This is so incredibly saddening to me.

I was thankful to learn that Berenice's child's father did marry her, and they are still together. That is nothing short of inspirational to me. She is even starting a website (Babies Bliss) to share her story and to create a place where teen moms can find support and give it, too.

Nevertheless, the avoidance of accountability to me is astounding, and obviously, not in the good way.

3. Where have we gone wrong?

We don't want to wait. We want to do what we want to do, when we want to do it. This is out of selfish blindness. When it comes to having sex, you might be surprised to learn that a good majority of teens who wish they had waited.

-In a recent poll, 63% of teens who have had sexual intercourse said they

wish they had waited. 55% of teen boys and approximately 72% of teen girls surveyed said they wish they had waited longer to have sex.

Because of human error, through the years, premarital sex has been glamorized in countless ways. As a result, sex has a bad image. It is tainted.

It was meant to be a beautiful and natural experience for a married couple to enjoy. (Don't get me wrong, it still is that, but it is ruined far too many times.) Now, it is easily viewed as trashy and cheap.

If you don't wait and work for something, it's not as special. This applies to many things, especially this.

There is a statistic concerning teens having unprotected sex because of pressure from their partner.

Now, that's just being foolish. That temporary pleasure can spiral into permanent pain if you are careless and thoughtless.

Stop and think about the consequences. They are real and they will change your life.

Finding out you and your significant other are bringing the blessing that is new life into the world should be a glorious time of celebration, not a time that brings gloom and doom.

4. When does this happen?

-About 4 out of 10 young women

get pregnant at least once before they turn 20.

-While teen sexual activity is down among most teens, it has risen among girls younger

than 15.

-The majority of pregnancies between the ages of 15 and 19 (78%) are not planned.

5. Why should you worry?

If you are a teen girl, this could happen to you. Berenice said in her testimony that she thought that it wouldn't happen to her, and I think we are all prone to think we are exceptions, but we aren't. If you make the choice to be sexually active before marriage, you had better make sure you can handle all that it comes with.

If you are a teen guy, it could happen to you too, only (and clearly) in a different way. You wouldn't be carrying the child, but it would be half of you, and also totally your responsibility as well. These things take two. If you think you're man enough to have sex, be man enough to step up to the plate of husband and father.

I'm going to recommend both parties to wait. It is worth it.

If you are a parent of teens, even if you've discussed these things with your children, they are not above falling into this situation. But whatever happens, don't give up on them. The best way to handle this is to love and support. I understand if anger and disappointment occurs, but a mistake isn't worth losing your child and grandchild over.

If you are an adult who doesn't happen to be a parent, I'm sure there are young people you care about. Teen pregnancy affects those who may not even realize. And there are always ways to make a difference in people's lives.

Be aware and be safe. Life is meant to bring joy. Everyone is a gift. Don't take precious things in life for granted.

Lastly,

If you are a teen parent, you are not alone. There are people who want to and will help you! I personally know some teen mothers who have made it and are happy and doing quite well. It was hard, but this is proof, your life isn't over. It has barely begun! The road can be rough, but it won't always be. Let us help you. No one has ever failed, unless they give up.

 Thank you for reading ... You all have been wonderful!