Great info… and some good advice for parents, families, home owners and business owners as well, that they can use to protect themselves!!

Many parents will tell me that they don’t allow their precious little Johnny to watch TV or spend too much time on the Internet. They have a similar bone to pick with the juggernaut that is the media, but their approach is a short-sighted, sheltered one. Protecting our kids from media by limiting or restricting exposure will only work for so long. We don’t, unfortunately, live under a rock, and if your kids aren’t watching TV or surfing the Net at home, they’ll eventually find a way to do so. No one can hide from advertisements, violent or hyper-sexualized images, etc.  If children learn from an early age to understand and interpret how the media works, then they’re well on their way to being well-adjusted 21st century adults who can think for themselves.

There are many techniques for you to keep your kids off drugs and away from websites where they can learn more about and buy them. They won’t be easy to implement but they are definitely worth the time and effort. The ease and availability of getting drugs has gone way up because of the internet, and so parents also have to step up their awareness and monitoring of their children’s activities. Good luck, and happy parenting!

Dangerous Drugs and Their Availability on the Web | Part I | Part II | Part III |

This survey was done a few years back, and since then the purchases of prescription drugs online has increased. One teenager shared his experience with online drugs. “I was always searching [the Internet] for new ways to get high,” said Sean, a 17 year old being treated at Pathway Family Center in Indianapolis. “My friends and I ordered ‘legal marijuana,’ which was terrible. I found out how to grow marijuana, how to make it more potent, how to crush pills. I linked my IM [instant messenger] to my favorite drug sites so that my friends could find them, too. When my parents wanted to drug test me, I found out online how to detox so I could get around the tests and show up clean.” Parents need to realize that there are many websites out there that teach your children bad things. The Internet is a great resource when used correctly and therefore banning it completely is a mistake, but parents would also be making a mistake thinking teens won’t find websites that encourage and promote drug use.

It is far too easy nowadays for any teen looking to spice up a party to go online and buy some pills for his friends. Make sure your kids know the increased dangers of taking these pills purchased from foreign drug dealers. They should already know the risks associated with local drug dealers and gateway drugs, but it is also important for them to recognize the increased dangers with the new designer drugs.