how-to-detox-body-of-thc

THE PROBLEM OF METH

Known on the street as "tina," "crank," "ice," or just plain "crystal," methamphetamine is back in the news as a powerful, addictive stimulant that is easily created with store-bought ingredients. 

Users -- known as tweakers -- most commonly use a pipe to smoke the clear crystal chunks.  Advocates laud the feeling of euphoria and sense of sexual liberation achieved under its influence.  Critics talk less glowingly of episodes of erratic and violent behavior, as well as painful withdrawal symptoms. 

Although crystal meth appears to be most frequently used by younger adults, the drug is not completely unknown to middle school and high school kids. 

A recent national student survey found that an average of three of every 100 students in the eighth, 10th and 12th grades reported using some form of methamphetamine at least once in 2003. 

This information was gathered nearly two years ago, before crystal meth began its much-publicized resurgence into the adult party scene.  We can expect these numbers to only increase as popular "grown-up" drugs -- such as Ecstasy and LSD -- rapidly drift into the youth culture. 

But there is another quality of this drug that will make it attractive to teens. 

Crystal meth provides temporary calming of the physical, emotional and intellectual feelings of inadequacy that are a normal part of adolescence.  The drug can result in weight loss and diminished social anxiety, and it can increase feelings of mental clarity and fuel all-night cram sessions. 

And there is a powerful cost for this respite from teen angst:

When it comes to potential injury from drug experimentation, kids are not "little adults." The immature brain and still-developing body of a teen is vulnerable to permanent damage from "tweaking" -- using crystal meth -- and long-term effects include stroke, coma, and even death. 

But dissuading kids from using a "feel-good" drug that enjoys adult popularity is not an easy task; it means teaching non-chemical coping mechanisms for building and sustaining self-esteem during the teen years. 

Such conversations about drugs and other harmful behaviors, along with setting fair and firm boundaries regarding substance abuse, must begin long before a youth enters adolescence. 

Research indicates that children who learn about the risks of drugs from their parents are up to half as likely to use drugs than their uninformed peers. 

Yet a recent survey released by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America reveals that 12 percent of parents say they have never spoken to their kids about drugs. 

But there is more. 

Of the parents who do have discussions about drugs with their children, the above survey indicated the parent doing the talking was most often the mother; only 39 percent of fathers talked to their kids "four or more times" in the past year about drugs, compared to 48 percent of mothers. 

And if conversations about alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs are not a part of the family experience, how likely are youngsters to "just say no" when temptation occurs? And how likely are they to seek parental advice if they do develop drug-dependency problems?

Family psychotherapist Gwen Olitsky stresses the importance of parents establishing and enforcing consistent and fair boundaries with regard to drug use. 

"It is normal for kids to do developmentally appropriate activities, like bending the rules, testing limits, taking risks, and living dangerously on the edge," Ms.  Olitsky says. 

"But also it is expected that parents do the developmentally appropriate activities, like setting rules, setting boundaries, and accepting anger from their children as part of the cost of protecting them from harm. 

"Being an effective parent means learning the signs of drug use and becoming aware of the chemical substances that kids are using.  It also means setting appropriate behavioral limits after talking with other parents and professionals about what constitutes fair expectations ( where kids can go, with whom, how late they can stay out ). 

"Set limits, stick to them and don't back down because you are afraid you will lose your child.  If you let your teen live by his peer group's rules, you might lose him or her permanently."

I couldn't agree more with Ms.  Olitsky. 

By the time the government develops an effective anti-drug message for crystal meth use among teens, another drug will have taken its place.  If we look only at the current drug-of-choice of the youth culture, we forever will be playing catch-up with regard to prevention. 

But if we shift our focus to encouraging parents to assist their child in developing self-esteem and drug-refusal skills early in life, we will be taking giant steps toward creating a generation of resilient youth whose only knowledge of tweeking will be from reading history books.