Talk About Scary

So what are you dressing up as for Halloween?

I know that Halloween is here and you are all looking for the best costume, including that set of teeth to bring it all together. Unfortunately these teeth are not for sale at your local costume shop, but they do come free with a meth habit.

In honor of Halloween I thought you might want to check out these real scary faces. This link will take you to “Got Meth?”  where you can check out what Meth will do to you.

 Don’t trick or treat with Meth, it is definitely no Treat!

Supreme Stupidity

We have all done it: the prank call. Many a middle school student has inquired of a random phone number whether or not his refrigerator was running just to tell him to go catch it. This type of prank should eventually die out with the invention of caller identification and other methods to track down telephone pranksters. Those that still attempt this time-honored tradition know that even during the most ridiculous of prank calls, there is a line that one just does not cross.

One young man in New York state crossed that line big time. According to a news report, he used a radio to call the local Sheriff’s Department and report an auto accident, claiming that a person was trapped. After authorities figured out that there was no accident, they tracked down the foolish 18-year-old and arrested him. His excuse for his horrible behavior? He had been smoking weed and was “not thinking clearly.”

The lesson to learn here, and the main point of this blog entry is this: drug use will cause you to do supremely stupid things. Far more dangerous than the effects of the drugs themselves are the insanely idiotic decisions one will make while high. One looses the ability to make good decisions and many times cannot control himself. This story is just another example of the endless accounts of drugs causing supreme stupidity. At least this story did not end with someone loosing his life; the next story you hear, maybe even your own story, may end that way.

Drying Cement

This week 80′s teen “heart-throb” Cory Haim died. Haim had dealt with drug abuse for years, and this drug use is suspected (although not yet confirmed) in his death. While there are many things one could learn by looking at the life of this troubled celebrity, one thing stands out to this blogger: a lifelong pattern of drug problems which originated in his teenage years.

He passed away at 38 years of age and has been battling drug problems since he was a teen. He has been in rehab, had relapses, and had depression issues. His close friend Cory Feldman called him a “tormented soul.”

Using drugs as a teenager is far more dangerous than one may think. If you even survive while abusing drugs, you are beginning a lifelong battle for control of yourself. You may think you can quit tomorrow “if you really wanted to,” but understand that by using drugs as a teen you are establishing a pattern that doesn’t just go away. Here is a saying to remember: “What you will become, you are now becoming. ” You don’t change as a person just because your circumstances change. You may think that you will straighten out when you get to college. Maybe you think you will clean up after you get your career underway, or when you get married, or when you become a parent. It doesn’t work that way.

Unfortunately, the reality is that life is like drying cement. When someone walks across wet cement they leave footprints. If the cement is immediately smoothed out it can be fixed, but if left to dry those footprints will become permanent.  This is also true of life. The more that time progresses the more permanent things become. The longer you have a lifestyle of drug use, the more permanent that lifestyle will become. Don’t let your cement dry with the footprints of drugs. If you do, you will struggle for the rest of your life.

Teen Drug Use On The Rise

As a youth prevention specialist, this blogger did not like reading the following statement in an article from JoinTogether.org: “A new report finds that more kids say they are using alcohol and other drugs.” This is the news coming from a study done by Partnership for a Drug Free America. Alcohol and marijuana use has risen, but even more shocking is the increased use of ecstasy, which is up by 67%!!!

The cause seems to be the tough times that have befallen America. Families are struggling to make it in this difficult economy. There is a tremendous amount of stress with which to deal and teens are looking for an escape. Unfortunately, they don’t realize that this temporary fix can have permanent consequences.

If you are a teen and you are having a rough time right now, getting high is not the answer. There are tons of other ways to have some fun and get your mind off of your troubles. Shoot some hoops, play some video games, listen to your favorite music, or hang out with your friends (who aren’t drinking or doing drugs). There are countless things you can do that do not involve drinking, drugs, or money. If you are a parent of a teen, make sure to devote some extra time and care to you son or daughter, and keep a close watch on their behavior. Teens feel family stress too and will greatly benefit from some quality time with the family. Despite all that a family may be lacking because of hardship, they still have each other.

Update on Michael Phelps

Follow up to the photo of Michael Phelps’ illegal drug use:

Michael Phelps just took a hit again, this time to his bank account. Kellogg decided to discontinue their sponsorship of the Olympic record-setting athlete because they do not believe his actions well-represent their company. The cereal company appeals to families and believes that Michael Phelps’ behavior is “not consistent with the image of Kellogg.”

The choice to not renew the contract led losses from more than just Phelps. Kellogg already had thousands of cereal boxes printed with the Michael Phelps image and filled with Frosted Flakes and Corn Flakes respectively. They decided not to market the boxes and instead donated all 3,800 pounds of cereal to the San Francisco Food Bank. The donation was enthusiastically accepted in a tough economic crisis that has left thousands of families hungry. There was a waiting list at the food bank because so many people are in need and fewer have the resources to donate. Many of those hungry families will now at least have breakfast. Kellogg will receive a tax deduction of up to $15,000 for the donation after the retail value is calculated.

Phelps suffered another loss, less financial but perhaps more meaningful: delayed swimming eligibility. USA Swimming suspended Phelps for three months which means he will have to stay out of the Grand Prix meet taking place this month where he planned to make his first showing of the competitive season. He now has to wait until May to join the competition. He will also lose $1,750 for each month of his suspension that he would normally receive as a training stipend from the organization. Although he has retained plenty of income through is other endorsements, the loss is a bold statement. There is zero tolerance for illegal drug use in competitive swimming. That’s more than can be said for baseball! The suspension ends before the USA team is selected for the World Championships. The team will be chosen in July.

USA Swimming issued the following statement, “This is not a situation where any anti-doping rule was violated, but we decided to send a strong message to Michael because he disappointed so many people, particularly the hundreds of thousands of USA Swimming-member kids who look up to him as a role model and a hero,”

The statement is controversial because it is an admission of a suspension without an actual violation of rules. Some oppose the decision.

What do you think? Is it fair for Kellogg to cancel their contract because of Phelps’ personal choices? Do you think other sponsors will follow? Do you think they should? What do you think will happen with this situation if Michael Phelps swims better than usual this season? What if he doesn’t?