Countering the Pro Drug Message
Whether or not young people or in fact anyone starts taking a drug usually relies on their perception of the dangers and effects of it. When a certain drug is constantly depicted as ruining your life, causing you to lose your job or become homeless, it takes quite a lot for someone to think that it is worth trying it out.
On the other hand, if a drug is not depicted in a bad light, maybe the people taking it are shown to be ‘more enlightened’, ‘understand things better’, or are ‘more popular’ it doesn’t take much of a stretch for a person to consider trying it, after all ‘it doesn’t seem that bad.’
Drugs are depicted in movies, TV series or even talked about in music on a very regular basis. What light these drugs are shown in is very important.
Nowadays certain drugs, particularly marijuana are not being depicted in a particularly negative light, intentionally or not some of them are being shown as normal, fine and accepted. That means the likelihood of someone experimenting with them goes much higher.
It is important that if you feel strongly against this, that you counter that message with one of your own. If you are very against drugs, then make sure your children know it and why. The why is very important because without a why you are not giving any information for a person to make a decision. It doesn’t help them on their own realise that those drugs are bad for them.
Finding a good drug education tool makes a world of difference. There are many resources on the internet, and if you feel the school education is not enough, then it is time to add a counter message of your own. www.drugfreeworld.org is one that I particularly like as it gives good, real information to counter some of that ‘it’s not so bad’ ideas that can crop up.
