A Guide for Ruining Your Life

We have all heard it: Meth is bad. Stay away from meth. Don’t be the one to get meth mouth. The pictures are quite scary…really scary. Did you know that meth is made from common household items such as kitty litter, antifreeze, drain cleaner, cough medicine, and much more! Outside of meth, most of these items will kill you when consumed, even with a small amount.

In all honesty there is nothing pretty about meth. It may get you high for a few days, but in the long run you have more going against you than for you when you use. You are more likely to become addicted to that high feeling and thus take more and more all the time until you are a full-blown meth addict. After use of meth, your brain starts to deteriorate and you start to lose some function in your body, your hhygiene goes out the window (you have seen meth mouth), you age considerably where you aren’t even recognizable, and you start to lose friends, family members, and even a future.

They say it is a hard habit to kick, so why even start? Meth is a serious chemical drug that has never helped anyone except for winding up in jail, ruining children’s lives, and a user’s future. Learn more about it through this link and ways that you can quit before it is too late.

Fighting vs. Persuading: Getting What You Want Plus More

Everyone has experienced it. It isn’t something that you can actually avoid, but there is something you can do to help the arguments you have with your parents to be less exhausting and frustrating. A lot of times, those fights you have with them can make everyone so angry that they say things they don’t mean, feelings can get hurt, and it makes it easy for violence to occur.

Next time you find yourself starting to get into a heated argument with your parents, pause and take a deep breath. Let it out and then proceed to persuade them instead of going back and forth. There are many benefits to trying to persuade your parents by using logic. One, it may make your parents take a step back and realize you are growing up and are able to make good decisions. Two, it will help your parents understand you process of thinking and in the future will listen to you more. Third, it will increase the respect your parents have for you. All of these will come about over time, even if you don’t completely get your way. Also, and probably the biggest benefit in the long run is that when you are an adult, you will be able to logically come to conclusions in a mature manner which will help in any situation, especially in debates or disagreements.

Of course, talking to your parents is always a two-way street, meaning that they have to listen in order to know what you are saying while you persuade. Here is an article that may help parents realize that it is better to let their kids persuade them rather than argue in disagreements.

Driving Safely as a Teen

It seems that many teens these days are waiting to get their driver’s license until well after 16. The general cause of this may be due to the age limit of a required drivers ed course, which has many benefits to it. In all honestly it doesn’t matter when you decide to get your license, but what does matter is that you are a safe driver. 

Here are some general tips to safe driving. If you want more information or a more detailed explanation, use this link!

Take a drivers ed course. I know that the general idea of taking this type of class outside of school can seem boring or you may think you all there is to know about driving on the road, but consider the benefits. For one, this will prepare you entirely for driving anywhere. Did you know that ”For each mile driven, teen drivers ages 16 to 19 are about four times more likely than other drivers to crash!” To get more statistics, the risks, and the costs of unsafe teen driving, click on this link. Not only this, but by taking this class (which is easy to do over summer!) you are eligible for a lower insurance rate. This is most helpful to anyone who is making car insurance payments.

Don’t text and drive. It is so common these days for kids to be on their cell phones, which doesn’t stop even when they are driving. Be sure to not use your cell phone, unless you have a hands free device, because it does cause more accidents.

Eliminate distractions! Use of your cell phone can also be put under this tip, but also keep in mind that friends, music, and even the buttons in the car used for general functions can all be a distraction. The risk of being in a car accident increases when you have distractions. Thus, it is important to decrease them as much as possible, especially when driving conditions (i.e., rain, snow, higher than normal wind speeds, heavy traffic, etc.) are not ideal.

Don’t drive while you are tired or inhibited by substance such as alcohol, prescription drugs, or other illegal drugs. Many driving disasters happen when anyone, not just teens, drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Decrease your chances of getting a ticket, going to jail, or killing someone or yourself by choosing not to use these types of substances.

Of course, it is also helpful to drive as often as possible with a parent or guardian who has had plenty of driving experience and can help with decreasing distractions as well as give pointers. If you would like information on more tips or information on driving classes click on this link. And one last thing…buckle up!

Nicotine your Gateway Drug?

Everyone knows that cigarettes, well tobacco products in general, are bad for you, but recently there was a study done on mice, whose genetic make up is very similar to humans (that is why they use mice for experiments), with how tobacco will later have an effect on their reaction to other drugs.

What they found out is that there was an increased response of the mice to cocaine after they were “prepared” with tobacco first. This means that after using tobacco for a limited number of days (seven to be exact). the mice had an increased response to cocaine once it was given to them. After further studying the effects of nicotine on their genes, it was shown that it changes the DNA structure and make up of the particular gene responsible for addiction. This, in turn, changes the reaction mice to cocaine by making them more vulnerable.

The results of this study goes along with previously published statistics determining if people had used tobacco before using illegal drugs. It was found that people who had used tobacco prior to cocaine were more dependent upon it than cocaine users who had not smoked or chewed tobacco.

So, the next time you think about lighting up, think about your future and dreams, and make a healthy choice to not do it because in the long run it will save your future, your lungs, and your genes!

Your Weight and Drugs

Usually when you hear about “illicit drug use” (or illegal drug use) you are in school learning about staying drug-free, or from friends who may have used, or in the news. However, have you ever heard about it when someone was talking about being overweight or too thin? I know I haven’t!

Recently there was an article posted on Medical News Today’s website about how the use of illegal drugs is correlated, or connected, to weight gain or weight loss. Although short, it stated that those who are underweight or overweight are 20-40% more likely to use illicit drugs. They say that this association could be due to “psychological factors, such as friendship, self-esteem and parents’ education level.”

Perhaps those who are not happy with their weight turn to illegal drugs to get to the weight they would prefer? Or could those who use drugs eat, more or less, while doing so?

I would like to hear from you and what do you think it could be from or what you think about this article.