Investigate.
Look for evidence of your teen's use. Review the information on ways to identify use.
(For more information, see the Is Your Teen Using Alcohol or Drugs? section of the topic Teen Alcohol and Drug Abuse.)
If you suspect a specific drug, gather other information about that substance and its effects.
Choose a time. Wait until he or she is not high (intoxicated) to confront your teen about using a substance.
Talking to someone who is high on drugs or alcohol usually does not work and may make the situation worse. Ask about use.
Find out what substances are being used, how often, in what setting, and where your teen is getting them. Your teen may be very reluctant to give you all this information.
Have an evaluation.
Talk with a health professional about an evaluation of your teen's substance use.
Your teen may need treatment, and early treatment may prevent future alcohol and drug use problems.
Get support.
You may find it helpful to participate in a support group for family members of people with alcohol use problems, such as Al-Anon.
There are Al-Anon meetings specifically for parents, and these meetings include discussions about family effects from alcohol and other substance use.
Substance abuse is a family disease; all family members are affected by it and need some form of help to change the way they react to the person who abuses substances.
Sunday, 10 August 2008
Beginner Mountain Bike Skills
Mountain biking is an exciting sport that can be enjoyed by anyone who knows how to ride a bike. Compared to the average bike ride, it does present some danger. Therefore, you should master these basic skills before you hit the trails or the dirt.
You can practice these beginning skills at a local park, school, bike path, or simply around your house. If you can, try to find a location with a steep hill.
Get a feel for your pedals
Practice moving your foot away from the pedal, first while sitting on your bike with one foot on the ground. Next, move on to releasing and replacing your foot while pedaling around for a bit. Those with toe clip and clipless type foot pedals will want to spend a bit more time practicing.
Sit and spin for position
Simply sit on your bike and pedal around. You should keep your arms slightly bent. You should also adjust your seat height so your leg is 70 to 90 percent extended at the bottom of every stroke on the pedal. Keep your body relaxed, as there will never be a position where you should have either your knees or your elbows locked.
Shifting gears
Get a feel for shifting gears with your bike. The higher gears are harder to pedal and will go faster while the lower gears are easier to pedal and will help you ascend hills. As you get to steeper hills, its best to shift before you get to the hill rather than while your on it.
Coasting
You should spend a bit of time coasting while standing on your pedals, without actually sitting on the seat. Keep your arms bent but don't lock your knees. Now, try experimenting with shifting your body towards the rear end of the bike.
Pedal while standing
You should get as comfortable as you can with pedaling while standing on your bike. Try lifting yourself off the seat while standing on the pedals, then crank them around. You should try this in higher gears on flat ground then again in lower gears while on a hill.
Dropping down a curb
Try finding a curb where you can easily get to the upper portion of it. Practice at a moderate speed, standing and coasting right off the curb from the upper level to the lower level. Try this at different speeds until it becomes second nature.
Once you practice these techniques and get the hang of them, you'll be able to hit the trails feeling comfortable on your mountain bike. Even though it may take some getting used to, it'll become second nature before you know it.
You can practice these beginning skills at a local park, school, bike path, or simply around your house. If you can, try to find a location with a steep hill.
Get a feel for your pedals
Practice moving your foot away from the pedal, first while sitting on your bike with one foot on the ground. Next, move on to releasing and replacing your foot while pedaling around for a bit. Those with toe clip and clipless type foot pedals will want to spend a bit more time practicing.
Sit and spin for position
Simply sit on your bike and pedal around. You should keep your arms slightly bent. You should also adjust your seat height so your leg is 70 to 90 percent extended at the bottom of every stroke on the pedal. Keep your body relaxed, as there will never be a position where you should have either your knees or your elbows locked.
Shifting gears
Get a feel for shifting gears with your bike. The higher gears are harder to pedal and will go faster while the lower gears are easier to pedal and will help you ascend hills. As you get to steeper hills, its best to shift before you get to the hill rather than while your on it.
Coasting
You should spend a bit of time coasting while standing on your pedals, without actually sitting on the seat. Keep your arms bent but don't lock your knees. Now, try experimenting with shifting your body towards the rear end of the bike.
Pedal while standing
You should get as comfortable as you can with pedaling while standing on your bike. Try lifting yourself off the seat while standing on the pedals, then crank them around. You should try this in higher gears on flat ground then again in lower gears while on a hill.
Dropping down a curb
Try finding a curb where you can easily get to the upper portion of it. Practice at a moderate speed, standing and coasting right off the curb from the upper level to the lower level. Try this at different speeds until it becomes second nature.
Once you practice these techniques and get the hang of them, you'll be able to hit the trails feeling comfortable on your mountain bike. Even though it may take some getting used to, it'll become second nature before you know it.
2008 Stellenbosch MTB Challenge
South Africa’s top riders are expected at this year’s Stellenbosch Mountain Bike Challenge, renowned as a favourite competitive and picturesque route by the mountain biking fraternity. Presented for the first time this year by Die Burger, the event is now also one of the official venues for the 2008 Mazda MTN National Championships.
The challenge will take place on Saturday 2 August 2008 and will start and finish at the Markötter Fields at Paul Roos Gymnasium in Stellenbosch.
Due to the consistently high standards of the route and outstanding race organisation, the organisers of the National MTB Championships have added the challenge to their roster of Series status events.
David Bellairs, co-director of the Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour organising committee which oversees the Stellenbosch event, says, “The decision to use the race as a leg of the National MTB Champs is a very strong endorsement. It shows that the routes are top notch and challenging even for SA’s best riders. We hope they will inspire other participants to give it their all. We are very proud that the National MTB Champs will be part of the Stellenbosch MTB Challenge.”
National Championships Series director Fritz Pienaar says there are many reasons for linking up with the Stellenbosch MTB Challenge. “The infrastructure in Stellenbosch is good for a national race as there is ample accommodation, an airport nearby and plenty of facilities to cater for riders who travel from other areas in the country. There are also a lot of riders in the Western Cape so the race will attract a large number of local riders. The Stellenbosch MTB Challenge is already a very successful and professional race, which makes it very easy to partner with them,” he says.
Organisers are expecting SA’s top riders to compete, including defending SA champ Kevin Evans of Team MTN, Olympic MTB star and no. 2 in the world Burry Stander (Team MTN) and SA cross-country champ Brandon Steward (Team USN). Cape Epic champion Yolanda de Villiers (Cycle Lab/Toyota), national series leader Carla Rowley (Team MTN) and Olympic rider Yolande Speedy (IMC) will add excitement to the women’s race.
There will be two routes for the national champs. The first is the 42km national half-marathon for junior licensed riders, which has been described as “not for the fainthearted.” It will start through the back of Stellenbosch and riders will have to contend with two major ascents:
Delaire’s Botmaskop, as well as the climb from Rustenberg up the lower Simonsberg to Delheim Estate. The course for the 42km national champs and 42km Stellenbosch MTB Challenge will be identical, although only licensed riders will be able to take part in the national championship race.
The second route is the 75km national marathon. After completing the 42km route, riders will have to contend with technical descents and lots of single-track trails on Delheim. Beyond the mountain sections they can expect fast, flat riding for 20km for the final ascent around Papegaaiberg and an innovative, traffic-free entrance to Stellenbosch to complete the course.
The expected finish time will be three hours, with back markers preparing for a four- to five-hour race.
The 42km and 75km series races are only open to licensed riders. A once-off day licence can, however, be purchased by entrants wanting to participate in these events. Riders in the 42km and 60km Stellenbosch MTB Challenge races will be seeded according the Mountain Bike Challenge Seeding Series that was instituted in 2007.
Meurant Botha of Dirtopia, who has been designing and maintaining trails for more than eight years, says that riders should expect “some surprises” along the way. “The route passes through 21 wine farms and in considered one of the best and most beautiful in the country. With the top riders, including Tania Raats, John-Paul Pearton and David George in attendance, the standard of competition will be very high.”
Fritz Pienaar says that another attraction to using the Stellenbosch MTB Challenge as a venue is Botha’s expertise at designing tracks. “Meurant Botha is renowned for his excellent courses – they are interesting and always challenging,” he says.
David Bellairs encourages all riders to ensure that they enter as soon as possible as the field is limited to 2 500 places. “It really is a fantastic family event and there will be plenty of entertainment for everyone, so we encourage people to bring their friends and family and come and have fun,” he adds.
The race will form part of the seeding series for the 2009 Cape Argus Pick n Pay Mountain Bike Challenge that takes place at Boschendal Wine Estate on 1 March 2009.
For more information or to enter please visit www.mtbchallenge.co.za.
The challenge will take place on Saturday 2 August 2008 and will start and finish at the Markötter Fields at Paul Roos Gymnasium in Stellenbosch.
Due to the consistently high standards of the route and outstanding race organisation, the organisers of the National MTB Championships have added the challenge to their roster of Series status events.
David Bellairs, co-director of the Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour organising committee which oversees the Stellenbosch event, says, “The decision to use the race as a leg of the National MTB Champs is a very strong endorsement. It shows that the routes are top notch and challenging even for SA’s best riders. We hope they will inspire other participants to give it their all. We are very proud that the National MTB Champs will be part of the Stellenbosch MTB Challenge.”
National Championships Series director Fritz Pienaar says there are many reasons for linking up with the Stellenbosch MTB Challenge. “The infrastructure in Stellenbosch is good for a national race as there is ample accommodation, an airport nearby and plenty of facilities to cater for riders who travel from other areas in the country. There are also a lot of riders in the Western Cape so the race will attract a large number of local riders. The Stellenbosch MTB Challenge is already a very successful and professional race, which makes it very easy to partner with them,” he says.
Organisers are expecting SA’s top riders to compete, including defending SA champ Kevin Evans of Team MTN, Olympic MTB star and no. 2 in the world Burry Stander (Team MTN) and SA cross-country champ Brandon Steward (Team USN). Cape Epic champion Yolanda de Villiers (Cycle Lab/Toyota), national series leader Carla Rowley (Team MTN) and Olympic rider Yolande Speedy (IMC) will add excitement to the women’s race.
There will be two routes for the national champs. The first is the 42km national half-marathon for junior licensed riders, which has been described as “not for the fainthearted.” It will start through the back of Stellenbosch and riders will have to contend with two major ascents:
Delaire’s Botmaskop, as well as the climb from Rustenberg up the lower Simonsberg to Delheim Estate. The course for the 42km national champs and 42km Stellenbosch MTB Challenge will be identical, although only licensed riders will be able to take part in the national championship race.
The second route is the 75km national marathon. After completing the 42km route, riders will have to contend with technical descents and lots of single-track trails on Delheim. Beyond the mountain sections they can expect fast, flat riding for 20km for the final ascent around Papegaaiberg and an innovative, traffic-free entrance to Stellenbosch to complete the course.
The expected finish time will be three hours, with back markers preparing for a four- to five-hour race.
The 42km and 75km series races are only open to licensed riders. A once-off day licence can, however, be purchased by entrants wanting to participate in these events. Riders in the 42km and 60km Stellenbosch MTB Challenge races will be seeded according the Mountain Bike Challenge Seeding Series that was instituted in 2007.
Meurant Botha of Dirtopia, who has been designing and maintaining trails for more than eight years, says that riders should expect “some surprises” along the way. “The route passes through 21 wine farms and in considered one of the best and most beautiful in the country. With the top riders, including Tania Raats, John-Paul Pearton and David George in attendance, the standard of competition will be very high.”
Fritz Pienaar says that another attraction to using the Stellenbosch MTB Challenge as a venue is Botha’s expertise at designing tracks. “Meurant Botha is renowned for his excellent courses – they are interesting and always challenging,” he says.
David Bellairs encourages all riders to ensure that they enter as soon as possible as the field is limited to 2 500 places. “It really is a fantastic family event and there will be plenty of entertainment for everyone, so we encourage people to bring their friends and family and come and have fun,” he adds.
The race will form part of the seeding series for the 2009 Cape Argus Pick n Pay Mountain Bike Challenge that takes place at Boschendal Wine Estate on 1 March 2009.
For more information or to enter please visit www.mtbchallenge.co.za.
Stellenbosch Wine Festival
When 2008/07/31 to 2008/08/03
Go Big in the Boland! Stellies brings on a serious winter jol.
Meet the winemakers, sample over 500 wines and get vino cred with varietal comparative tastings. And the fun doesn't stop there - check out how Stellenbosch celebrities and winemakers battle it out in the kitchen!
Drool at the contest of the über chefs as they sizzle and sweat in out under your nose. There are wines on offer to suit every palate, as well as every pocket so don't forget your credit card - you can purchase your favourite festival find at the on-site wine boutique.
Sporty wine enthusiasts can pedal out their excess energy at the Mountain Bike Challenge on Saturday and perhaps grab a lucky draw or big prizes. Don’t forget to bring the kids on Sunday for fun entertainment at the Festival Café while you sample Stellenbosch's best.
Stellenbosch Wine Festival Venue: Paul Roos Centre.Tickets for the festival are available at the door and from Computicket.Thursday 31 July: Wine Connoisseurs Evening, 17:00 to 21:00, R250 includes snacks and food vouchers.Friday 1 August: 16:00 to 21:00, R100Saturday 2 August: limited tickets available, 12:00 to 18:00, R120Sunday 3 August: Family Day, 11:00 – 16:00, R100Golden Pass: valid for all 4 days, R350Entrance fee includes a tasting glass, with a R10 saving for American Express® Card holders.
Go Big in the Boland! Stellies brings on a serious winter jol.
Meet the winemakers, sample over 500 wines and get vino cred with varietal comparative tastings. And the fun doesn't stop there - check out how Stellenbosch celebrities and winemakers battle it out in the kitchen!
Drool at the contest of the über chefs as they sizzle and sweat in out under your nose. There are wines on offer to suit every palate, as well as every pocket so don't forget your credit card - you can purchase your favourite festival find at the on-site wine boutique.
Sporty wine enthusiasts can pedal out their excess energy at the Mountain Bike Challenge on Saturday and perhaps grab a lucky draw or big prizes. Don’t forget to bring the kids on Sunday for fun entertainment at the Festival Café while you sample Stellenbosch's best.
Stellenbosch Wine Festival Venue: Paul Roos Centre.Tickets for the festival are available at the door and from Computicket.Thursday 31 July: Wine Connoisseurs Evening, 17:00 to 21:00, R250 includes snacks and food vouchers.Friday 1 August: 16:00 to 21:00, R100Saturday 2 August: limited tickets available, 12:00 to 18:00, R120Sunday 3 August: Family Day, 11:00 – 16:00, R100Golden Pass: valid for all 4 days, R350Entrance fee includes a tasting glass, with a R10 saving for American Express® Card holders.
Tik takes toll - South African teens
"I am very sad, desperate. We are going through hell," he says, dabbing at his eyes with a handkerchief and apologising for the uncharacteristic show of emotion.
He gives a false name, Tyson, fearing persecution by drug dealers doing swift business in his suburb of Kraaifontein in CapeTown.
His son, 19, has been using crystal meth, known colloquially as "tik", for two years and failed at numerous rehabilitation attempts.
The sporty, studious and dependable youngster has become a paranoid and gaunt loner who failed two final school year subjects, had run-ins with the law, and has stolen just about every item that can be sold from his home.
Living with him has become unbearable, says Tyson (46) who works as a driver to eke out a middle-class existence.
"He has driven me to the edge of financial ruin," the father told Agence France-Presse. "He has stolen shoes, clothes, cellphones and cameras from us [his parents and siblings], even meat from the fridge and jars of coffee."
And rehabilitation costs money too.
Grant Jardine, director of the Cape Town Drug Counselling Centre, said tik was fast becoming the favoured drug of young people, being comparatively cheap and accessible.
He gives a false name, Tyson, fearing persecution by drug dealers doing swift business in his suburb of Kraaifontein in CapeTown.
His son, 19, has been using crystal meth, known colloquially as "tik", for two years and failed at numerous rehabilitation attempts.
The sporty, studious and dependable youngster has become a paranoid and gaunt loner who failed two final school year subjects, had run-ins with the law, and has stolen just about every item that can be sold from his home.
Living with him has become unbearable, says Tyson (46) who works as a driver to eke out a middle-class existence.
"He has driven me to the edge of financial ruin," the father told Agence France-Presse. "He has stolen shoes, clothes, cellphones and cameras from us [his parents and siblings], even meat from the fridge and jars of coffee."
And rehabilitation costs money too.
Grant Jardine, director of the Cape Town Drug Counselling Centre, said tik was fast becoming the favoured drug of young people, being comparatively cheap and accessible.
South Africa's Children Are Victims of Nation's Alcoholism Culture
South Africa has the highest rate of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in the world. It's the most common preventable form of mental retardation. But, a deep-rooted history in South Africa's wine industry is making it difficult to turn this problem around.
Eleven-year-old Tisha Lourens is one of the lucky ones. Today she is the focus of attention of her large, adopted family, as she explains what is in store this week at school. The atmosphere is warm and light-hearted.
But this child's life started out much different, as her mother Vivien explains.
"When we had just gotten her we were told, that this is a fail-to-thrive baby. She's been abandoned by her mother. And, don't hold out much hope for her living," she said.
Tisha was born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, one of many children born into this area of South Africa where the wine industry dominates. Most experts agree that it was the Dop System, the practice of paying part of farm workers' wages with free cups of wine, that laid the foundation for alcoholism taking deep root in the region.
The area's history of alcoholism goes as far back as the 17 th Century. Jan van Riebeeck, the Dutch explorer responsible for the settlement at the Cape of Good Hope in the mid-17th century, was the first to introduce European winemaking to the southern tip of Africa.
In his diaries, van Riebeeck wrote about educating a group of Angolan slave children. He wrote, "To animate their lessons and to make them really hear the Christian prayers, each slave should be given a small glass of brandy and two inches of tobacco."
Though the practice was limited in 1928 and outlawed it in 1961, it continued to endure on wine and fruit farms well into the 1990s.
"I think the Dop System generally engendered a drinking habit and drinking became an acceptable social norm particularly over weekends," explained Professor Denis Viljoen. "Even though now less than 5 percent of the farms in the Western and Northern Cape provinces practice the Dop System. So, it's largely, ineffective now but the actual drinking practices stem from the long history of the Dop system being prevalent in those areas."
Professor Denis Viljoen is head of Human Genetics at Wits University in Johannesburg. He was one of the first to record the number of children born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Three studies, one in 1997, 1999 and 2001, were recorded in a small rural town of about 60,000 in the Western Cape.
"What we found was the rate of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome was about 45 per 1,000 school entry children, in the first study. About 70 per 1,000 in the second study. And it may be as high, and we are still evaluating some of the data, it may be as high as 85 per 1,000 in the third study," he said.
Though one of the biggest challenges lies in the fact that the culture of drinking is deeply embedded, Dr. Viljoen says it's the stigma of alcoholism that also needs addressing in order to break the cycle from generation to generation.
Sophia Warner agrees. She heads the group Pebbles here in Stellenbosch, which works with pre-schools to train teachers and parents how to deal with their children with special needs.
"We are not medically trained to diagnose children and having spoken to various specialists in the field, they seem reluctant to actually diagnose these children as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, because of the stigma, because of the labeling," explained Ms. Warner. "So, Pebbles, our vision is to provide training for children with special needs, included those affected by alcohol. So, we get the Fetal Alcohol children in the umbrella of special needs without just identifying those kids."
Meanwhile, children such as Tisha Lourens have an uncertain road ahead, having already been born to a generation damaged by their birth mother's alcoholism.
The abnormalities of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome children include low birth weight, facial deformities, and mental retardation. There also appears to be an association with impulsive behavior, anxiousness, and an inability to understand the consequences of their actions.
"Her biggest challenge is her academics, now," explained Vivien. "Her social skills are very good.
But, she can't do even the basic math. And she has trouble with reading. She memorizes words but she can't read them. She cannot pick out like 'and' and 'the.' She has a terrific problem with those. But she'll recognize 'LOOK' because of the two 'O' as the eyes. "
"I found them in TV," Tisha interrupted.
"Yes, you saw them on TV didn't you? Because you are very clever," Vivien responded. "But she is going into a new class because the teacher is going to keep on with her reading and we will keep on with her reading as well."
Both Vivien and her husband Peter say that their biggest worry right now is Tisha's inability to retain information. Though she knows, for example, to stay close by them in a crowded shopping center in a split second she may forget and wander off.
"She has no consequences. She doesn't know right from wrong. Which is a problem," added Vivien.
Dr. Viljoen says that the key to helping break the generations of this syndrome lies in the destigmatizing of the disease by the medical fraternity. He says the new generation of doctors is finally starting to turn this around by treating alcoholism as a disease rather than a vice.
Eleven-year-old Tisha Lourens is one of the lucky ones. Today she is the focus of attention of her large, adopted family, as she explains what is in store this week at school. The atmosphere is warm and light-hearted.
But this child's life started out much different, as her mother Vivien explains.
"When we had just gotten her we were told, that this is a fail-to-thrive baby. She's been abandoned by her mother. And, don't hold out much hope for her living," she said.
Tisha was born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, one of many children born into this area of South Africa where the wine industry dominates. Most experts agree that it was the Dop System, the practice of paying part of farm workers' wages with free cups of wine, that laid the foundation for alcoholism taking deep root in the region.
The area's history of alcoholism goes as far back as the 17 th Century. Jan van Riebeeck, the Dutch explorer responsible for the settlement at the Cape of Good Hope in the mid-17th century, was the first to introduce European winemaking to the southern tip of Africa.
In his diaries, van Riebeeck wrote about educating a group of Angolan slave children. He wrote, "To animate their lessons and to make them really hear the Christian prayers, each slave should be given a small glass of brandy and two inches of tobacco."
Though the practice was limited in 1928 and outlawed it in 1961, it continued to endure on wine and fruit farms well into the 1990s.
"I think the Dop System generally engendered a drinking habit and drinking became an acceptable social norm particularly over weekends," explained Professor Denis Viljoen. "Even though now less than 5 percent of the farms in the Western and Northern Cape provinces practice the Dop System. So, it's largely, ineffective now but the actual drinking practices stem from the long history of the Dop system being prevalent in those areas."
Professor Denis Viljoen is head of Human Genetics at Wits University in Johannesburg. He was one of the first to record the number of children born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Three studies, one in 1997, 1999 and 2001, were recorded in a small rural town of about 60,000 in the Western Cape.
"What we found was the rate of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome was about 45 per 1,000 school entry children, in the first study. About 70 per 1,000 in the second study. And it may be as high, and we are still evaluating some of the data, it may be as high as 85 per 1,000 in the third study," he said.
Though one of the biggest challenges lies in the fact that the culture of drinking is deeply embedded, Dr. Viljoen says it's the stigma of alcoholism that also needs addressing in order to break the cycle from generation to generation.
Sophia Warner agrees. She heads the group Pebbles here in Stellenbosch, which works with pre-schools to train teachers and parents how to deal with their children with special needs.
"We are not medically trained to diagnose children and having spoken to various specialists in the field, they seem reluctant to actually diagnose these children as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, because of the stigma, because of the labeling," explained Ms. Warner. "So, Pebbles, our vision is to provide training for children with special needs, included those affected by alcohol. So, we get the Fetal Alcohol children in the umbrella of special needs without just identifying those kids."
Meanwhile, children such as Tisha Lourens have an uncertain road ahead, having already been born to a generation damaged by their birth mother's alcoholism.
The abnormalities of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome children include low birth weight, facial deformities, and mental retardation. There also appears to be an association with impulsive behavior, anxiousness, and an inability to understand the consequences of their actions.
"Her biggest challenge is her academics, now," explained Vivien. "Her social skills are very good.
But, she can't do even the basic math. And she has trouble with reading. She memorizes words but she can't read them. She cannot pick out like 'and' and 'the.' She has a terrific problem with those. But she'll recognize 'LOOK' because of the two 'O' as the eyes. "
"I found them in TV," Tisha interrupted.
"Yes, you saw them on TV didn't you? Because you are very clever," Vivien responded. "But she is going into a new class because the teacher is going to keep on with her reading and we will keep on with her reading as well."
Both Vivien and her husband Peter say that their biggest worry right now is Tisha's inability to retain information. Though she knows, for example, to stay close by them in a crowded shopping center in a split second she may forget and wander off.
"She has no consequences. She doesn't know right from wrong. Which is a problem," added Vivien.
Dr. Viljoen says that the key to helping break the generations of this syndrome lies in the destigmatizing of the disease by the medical fraternity. He says the new generation of doctors is finally starting to turn this around by treating alcoholism as a disease rather than a vice.
Drugs in South Africa
Young people tend to think of drugs as an aid for relaxation and a method of running away from one's problems.
South Africa is a country such as any other. And yes we are faced with the issue of Drugs. It is something that is busy feeding off of the human race, consuming their bodies like a parasite.
I must admit that my friends and I live in a sheltered environment and have fortunately not been subject to this parasite. Our school is clear of those horrid substances and we are very fortunate to have a councelling lesson where we discuss drugs and get more educated. To an extent, our sheltered environment that our parents have made for us is very helpful and initially to our benefit, but also to our detriment. We hear of drug abuse and other students being addicted to it etc. But I'm afraid to say that many of us don't truly know what drugs are.
This picture of perfect life has been created to protect us as young people, but when we face reality at a later stage in our lives it is going to hit hard!
Youngh people are faced with so many issues than in the past years. We live in a world of fashion, fame, status, and brand labels. If you don't keep up, you're kicked out of the club, destined to be a nobody. I, being a teen myself, don't blame people for taking drugs.
Yes it's wrong, but life is so full of pressure to perform and the stress of staying on top of things. Young people tend to think of drugs as an aid for relaxation and a method of running away from one's problems. If only that frame of mind could change.
South Africa is a country such as any other. And yes we are faced with the issue of Drugs. It is something that is busy feeding off of the human race, consuming their bodies like a parasite.
I must admit that my friends and I live in a sheltered environment and have fortunately not been subject to this parasite. Our school is clear of those horrid substances and we are very fortunate to have a councelling lesson where we discuss drugs and get more educated. To an extent, our sheltered environment that our parents have made for us is very helpful and initially to our benefit, but also to our detriment. We hear of drug abuse and other students being addicted to it etc. But I'm afraid to say that many of us don't truly know what drugs are.
This picture of perfect life has been created to protect us as young people, but when we face reality at a later stage in our lives it is going to hit hard!
Youngh people are faced with so many issues than in the past years. We live in a world of fashion, fame, status, and brand labels. If you don't keep up, you're kicked out of the club, destined to be a nobody. I, being a teen myself, don't blame people for taking drugs.
Yes it's wrong, but life is so full of pressure to perform and the stress of staying on top of things. Young people tend to think of drugs as an aid for relaxation and a method of running away from one's problems. If only that frame of mind could change.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)