Drugs, Sex, Smoking And Alcohol On Teens Drugs, Sex, Smoking and alcohol on teens

[gaea 0]

And yeah, they're all stupid. I wish they hadn't made the decisions they had, and they will be scared for life because of it.

...could you please elaborate on that (e.g. use some actual evidence to back up those claims)? Because, atleast to me, those seem like flagrently uninformed and ignorant generalizations.

It's fine to disagree with other peoples actions and opinions--as a matter of fact I'd strongly encourage it (thinking for yourself is one of the best things you can do)...but please make actually coherent well thoughtout arguments; instead of baseless naive comments.

[glamour_trash 0]

I really dislike this sex before marriage belief, because sex was once considered to be a very spiritual thing, a way of getting closer to god; then along came the Christians who decided that it was sinful. I'm not into casual sex, I think that it's perfectly okay for teenagers to have sex, its all a normal part of life - although most kids having sex at 12 and 13 are definitely not emotionally mature enough for it, and the fact that they think they are just proves this.Getting pregnant at this age is pretty stupid though because your body is still growing and it is harder to cope with the extra pressures of pregnancy and child birth. Not to mention the emotional/social/physcological pressures of motherhood at such a young age. I don't have such a problem with smoking and weed, it's very common and people can still live quiet normal lives. Finally I think that the media is too blame for exposing kids to sex and drugs at such a young age. Our society tends to use sex to sell everything and I reckon its discusting; especially all these hip hop artists with their sexy video clips. YES, ESPECIALLY THE MUSIC INDUSTRY!!! AND MTV! ok ok gotta calm down...I think it especially has a bad influence on young girls, who feel pressured to dress/act like sex objects ar such a young age to be accepted by guys. If only the media accepted the fact that women are not born with silicone chests, and let girls know that it's ok to wear clothes....LET THE CHILDREN HAVE THEIR INNOCENCE!!!

Edited June 6, 2006 by glamour_trash (see edit history)

[peo 0]

We can never stop the negative impacts on children, drugs and alcohol will always exist in our lives. They cant be banned or avioded. Personally i believe that there is nothing we can do about it. In our society today we should be stricter - We should be stricter and have more control of our children. We can't stop this impact on happening - but we can prevent our next generation by making them aware of why not to takes these things. In the netherlands its still legal to sell drugs - its pretty much as alcohol or tobacco there. If the bannation of drugs will be accomplished in the netherlands - it would be much harder to achieve drugs in other countries - however, there will always occur black business - drugs will always be a part of our lives if we don?t do anything about it now!

[xaetos 0]

Alcohol.. is everywhere. Its impossible to avoid, especially as you get older and you have the odd friend who is legal to buy/drink it, and they buy it for everyone else as well. I don't understand why someone would drink, but its their choice.. just seems like a way to spend/waste money and make a complete fool of yourself. I guess it has to have some appeal to it, so its other peoples choice if they want to. Even if you don't drink, you have to get used to being around people who are, because otherwise you'll end up stuck inside a house your whole life.Drugs. Drugs are worse. Someone said earlier that weed was the worst. Weed is definately not the worst - if anything, thats the best of the drugs available. Drugs make you do weird things, its best to avoid them..As for sex, as long as its not a ridiculously young age (12-13ish), then I don't really see what the problem with it is. Its that persons choice. It doesn't cost money (assuming its within a relationship), its not addicting, its actually good for you.. I just never saw what the big problem with premarital sex was, assuming a stable relationship was present.

[gaea 0]

We can never stop the negative impacts on children, drugs and alcohol will always exist in our lives. They cant be banned or avioded. Personally i believe that there is nothing we can do about it. In our society today we should be stricter - We should be stricter and have more control of our children. We can't stop this impact on happening - but we can prevent our next generation by making them aware of why not to takes these things.

*looks confused* Didn't you just contradict yourself there?

 

In the netherlands its still legal to sell drugs - its pretty much as alcohol or tobacco there. If the bannation of drugs will be accomplished in the netherlands - it would be much harder to achieve drugs in other countries - however, there will always occur black business - drugs will always be a part of our lives if we don?t do anything about it now!

 

A few quick points: 1) Only marijuana is decrimnalized (note that i didn't say "legalized," which is entirely different) in the Netherlands--no other "drugs" (except ciggeretts and alcohol) are. 2) Most of the marijuana around doesn't come from the netherlands. Ofcourse it highly depends on where you live, but here in the US almost all of it comes from Canada, within our own borders, and from mexico in the southern states.

 

Now that we're finished with that, lets examine the levels of marijuana usage in the United States compared to the netherlands. The statistics I'm going to use (cited below) are from 2001, but I'm sure you'd find very similar results if you looked into the newer surveys.

 

Percentage of individuals, twelve and older, who have ever tried marijuana:

The United States: 36.9%

The Netherlands: 17.0%

 

Percentage of individuals, twelve and older, who have used marijuana within the last month:

The United States: 5.4%

The Netherlands: 3.0%

 

Source for US statistics: US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, National Household Survey on Drug Abuse: Volume I. Summary of National Findings (Washington, DC: HHS, August 2002), p. 109, Table H.1.

 

Source for Netherland Statistics: Trimbos Institute, "Report to the EMCDDA by the Reitox National Focal Point, The Netherlands Drug Situation 2002" (Lisboa, Portugal: European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, Nov. 2002), p. 28, Table 2.1.

 

Put quite simply, prohibition doens't work. It didn't work for alcohol, and it's not working for marijuana. All it does is: put those who choose to buy marijuana into situations where they are exposed to harder drugs, jail hundreds of thousands of people for so called "victimless crimes," waste billions of dollars of tax payers' money, and provide financing for orginized crime. Fun.

 

If you want to check out a list of some more scientific studies try http://norml.org/?Group_ID=3383.

Edited June 6, 2006 by gaea (see edit history)

[Nani Cheri 0]

It is so sad to hear about girls at an young age getting pregnant in the first place, but also when they think it is fun only and want to keep the child. They dont think about the consequences about having a child. If you dont have finished school, and dont have a job it is not fun at all. Maybe in the beginning they think it so cute etc. but what when they grow older? They go to school and want to go to danceschools or get pianolessons.. and you cant give them what they want. They will always be sad about it because their friends all can have piano and dancelessons. I mean as a mother or father, you want to give your kind all that he wants right, and want em to be happy???Please think before having unprotected sex teens! Or just be protected when having sex. Especially girls should know 'the pill' is not difficult to take in just do it. THink about your future, and what you want to give your child in the future when you are ready..

[Tyssen 0]

Anyone who is stupid enough to experiment with these things are... well, stupid.

Experimentation is not stupid. That's how we learn things - by trying them out and learning from the experiences whether positive or negative. Without experimentation none of the technology that we benefit from today would exist. Now I'm not advocating that everyone should go out and try all manner of drugs/alcohol, but saying experimentation is stupid is ... well ... stupid.

[Togi 0]

Hmm.. guess I'm just boring, but I don't do many of these things. Cigarettes smell horrible, so I have no desire to smoke them.. I don't see how people get into these things. Drinking, eh.. my boyfriend drinks a beer every so often, he says it tastes good, and it never changes his behavior, so alright. That's not any different than drinking soda or something, so who cares? I'm still 20, so I'm not quite old enough to supply my own, so.. *shrug* ..not sure I've been so avoidant of the sex, heh.. but drugs are just not cool. I've seen too many people get into that stuff, and it messes them up. Maybe I could experiment and still be okay, but I don't wanna test it. I'd rather try my luck with something a little less risky XD

[rldowling03 0]

Ok gaea to your question about when i said drugs are worse than cigaretes, well Togi answered that, drugs stuff you up man.Anyway ok I will go through what I mean once again:Drugs: No way nobody should be doing it but you know teens and that with peer pressure and having friends that do it can push you into doing it and to just try it but it just not good.Sex: There is nothing wrong with sex in general but I talking about teens going out at nights coming home with a random guy they met, thats what im saying is wrong and I have seen 3 people i know get pregnant and 1 of them had twins by accident but she lost them, and wanted them so she got pregnant again.Alcohol: Again there is nothing wrong with alcohol, im talking about teens who abuse it and go out with mates and just get drunk, of course im sure we all drink and perhaps get drunk at least once at like new years or christmas or something like that.Cigarettes: Yes, people these days are getting into smoking very early, In my school i guess about 85% of year 10's smoke as everyone i know does and alot of people at my school go to the back of te oval EVERY recess and lunch just to smoke, which everyone knows smoking kills.Anyway thats all from me for now!

[triplebtalk 0]

I know you will all hate me for being a semi teenage stereotype but, I drink and my grades are fine, I started drinking when I was 12-13 and my life is not ruined. I think that if you want to get really drunk, that is your own choice, not some religious nutters decision. Alcohol is fine as long as you know your limits and are with people you know welll and trust.

 

Drugs, I really don't care for. I have never tried them and I never will. The thing with drugs for me is the fact that my father died of an overdose and I disagree with anything even slightly related to them entirely. I am 15 and I know that I have no right to criticise people who enjoy drugs, so I don't, because people who do drugs are not going to give a damn whether YOU disagree with what they do in their recreation time.

 

As for cigarettes, I can't stand the smell and taste of them, being the stupid teenager I am, I tried one cigarette and never tried it again, they were terrible and they tasted so wrong. One of my friends does smoke occasionally and it worries me sick. Because she is my friend I am able to talk to her about it, but she just tells me its like me doing alcohol (to which I reply "Alcohol tastes nicer ").

 

Underage sex is an issue but this is caused by lack of education on the matter, I personally have not had sex before and strangely enough, I haven't met the right person anyway. If the sex education campaign was better we might be able to lower the teen pregnancy rates... As for the "No sex before marriage rule:, I say "If that is how you wanna live your life, go do it, but just because you are part of a religion that forbids this doesn't mean you should stop your self, this is of course provided that you actually love the person.

 

Please remember that this is coming froma 15 year old atheist, so you can tear away at my theories you oldies/religious people.