 |
|
|
|
|
 |
||
 |
||
| New York Daily News By Ginger Katz Sometimes our children surprise us, unfortunately in very tragic ways. I'm sure the tragic double suicide of young Theresa LaMarca, 22, and Damien Conners, 26, on the train tracks in North Elizabeth, N.J., recently shocked their parents. I was surprised, too. My 20-year-old son, Ian, a college student, died Sept. 10, 1996, of a drug overdose. Drug addiction apparently is what led LaMarca and Conners to kill themselves. Too many parents no longer have the chance to take advantage of one fact: The No. 1 key to prevention of drug addiction is a parent talking to a child about the dangers of drugs. Only one in three parents talks to their children about the dangers of illicit drugs. Many parents probably don't see the need or any warning signs — or they avoid the issue until confronted with it. But parents — as well as children — need to learn. What parents must do is talk to their children. We must ask the hard questions. We must hear what they are saying (and not saying) to us.Every child will be asked, "Will you smoke this with me?" Or told, "Try this." "This won't hurt you." Even if you think your children will never do drugs, you still have to talk to them. And it should not be a lecture, but an ongoing dialogue. We think drug addiction is a problem of the poor, the uneducated — not my family. But addiction does not discriminate. It doesn't matter what race you are or how financially sound you are, if you're homeless or if you have a family who loves you dearly. It can happen to anyone. Growing up today is different than it was in previous generations. The average length of a marriage is six years. Children are being raised by one parent, a grandparent or a foster parent — fewer people in the family for children to talk to. If they don't process their problems and their pain, risky behaviors emerge, such as drug and alcohol abuse, sexual promiscuity or suicide. I suggest to children that they find three to five adults they can talk to about their problems. Today's children are exposed to a host of new designer drugs, huffing (use of inhalants), misuse of prescription drugs and marijuana 20 times the strength it was in the '60s and '70s and often laced with PCP (angel dust), cocaine or heroin. The average age of first heroin use 10 years ago was 27. Now it is 17, and the drug can be snorted. Drug traffickers are targeting our youth, especially in areas where kids have more money. Talk to your children about the dangers of drugs as soon as you tell them "Don't talk to strangers" — and that is at age 2. Be relentless. Every child will be asked to try a drug. By the time they get those questions, make sure they know how to answer them. If you find out your child is using drugs, do something about it right away. Don't allow it to continue and think it is just a phase. Drug addiction destroys not only the person who is using, it also destroys the family. Addiction robs you of your money, it robs you of your spirit and, finally, when you have nothing else left to give, it robs you of your soul. This problem does not go away. It escalates and, before you know it, it is too late. | ||
