Deborah
Cadorette
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Drugs
& Communicating With Kids
By Deborah Cadorette
"Just Say No"
isn't good enough.
As adults we have a responsibility
to educate our children about
life. Drugs are a very real part
of the world they live in. Children
are expected to make responsible
decisions about the role drugs
have in their lives. They can
only do this if they are educated
about what harm a chemical can
do once it is in the body. Our
children need facts. They aren't
satisfied to "Just Say No"
- they want to know why.
Kids are justified in wanting
to know what harm drugs and alcohol
can do to them. Our children have
access to the internet viewing
anything they desire. Unfortunately,
they may not be getting all the
facts necessary to make responsible
decisions that will keep them
safe. Drugs and alcohol are the
theme in this issue of pelinks4u,
and the purpose of the Coaching
& Sport Section this
month is to stress the importance
of communication with athletes
and children about drug facts.
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Deliver
Facts—Become Knowledgeable About
Drugs
Adults need to become informed about
drugs. Drug names and trends change
rapidly. Read, talk to professionals,
and visit web sites that provide facts
and testimonies. If you don't inform
your team and children about the harm
drugs can do to them, they will lack
the knowledge to make responsible decisions.
Athletes will have an opportunity, or
be invited to try drugs. Provide them
with details and facts about what chemicals
will interfere with performance and
harm human functions. If you aren't
comfortable discussing facts with the
team, invite someone who is a qualified
professional in the field to talk with
your team. Make sure the person you
invite is knowledgeable about current
drug
trends on the market as well as
alcohol,
steroids,
and smokeless
tobacco.
The competition for recognition in
athletics is unlike ever before, resulting
in athletes feeling pressured to enhance
their performance by using whatever
they believe may help - from sports
drinks and energy bars to protein drinks
that claim to help build muscle. Unfortunately,
this list may include steroids.
They believe it will give them the edge
they need to be the best they can be.
Inform your athletes about what dangers
exist. View the videos that are listed
in this article on the National Federation
of High Schools website. Tell your athletes
and children what to avoid and why.
They need facts. Coaches and parents
must provide them!
Parents - discuss drugs with your kids.
Let your children know they can come
to you with questions, and you will
seek the answers without judgment. If
your child can't approach you they will
seek information elsewhere, and it may
not be the truth or what you want them
to hear. A helpful book published in
2003 is called Buzzed
by Cynthia Kuhn, Scott Swartzwelder,
and Wilkie Wilson, all of the Duke University
Medical Center. The back cover reads,
"Scientifically accurate and easy
to read, this no-nonsense handbook gives
the most balanced objective information
available on the most often used and
abused drugs, from alcohol, caffeine,
and nicotine to heroin and Ecstasy.
Whether the reader is a student confronted
by drugs for the first time, an accountant
reaching for his fourth cup of coffee,
or a health educator, Buzzed
will provide a clear understanding of
how drugs work and the consequences
of their use."
Our youth are more informed today than
any generation before them. Let's not
insult their intelligence by providing
a blanket statement like "Just
Say No." We love them
and want them to remain safe from harm.
Providing facts will help deliver this
message.
A Teen
Athlete and His Story
Coaches and parents should talk to
their teams and children about steroids,
and be aware of student athlete's interest
in using drugs that enhance human growth.
Steroid use in doses large enough to
increase muscle size can be very harmful
to human beings. When doctors prescribe
steroids for their patients, the dosage
is about 1/10 the amount typically used
by athletes to enhance muscle growth.
The consequences of using this drug
can be staggering, and continue for
years after steroid use is stopped.
While researching teen athlete drug
use topics on the internet, a website
appeared that was dedicated to a teen
boy who committed suicide after his
experience and battle with the use of
steroids. Taylor
Hooten was a baseball player who
was told by his J.V Baseball Coach that
he “had to get bigger if he
wanted to make the varsity team.”
Taylor gained 30lbs. in four months.
He also experienced significant problems
as a result of steroid use that led
to him taking his own life. His parents
reached into their hearts to warn others
about the steroid danger lurking in
every community for those athletes who
want to grow big, fast. These teens
are naïve about consequences and
believe it will be the solution to their
sport success.
The parents are extremely moving in
a video
when they show pictures of Taylor and
openly discuss how they missed the signs
of their son's steroid use. They didn't
know what to look for - the rapid weight
gain, acne, bloating/puffiness around
the neck and face, breast development,
outbursts of anger…all signs of
steroid use. They learned their son
was getting his supply of steroids from
the local YMCA where he was working
out.
It was a coincidence that the National
Federation of High Schools (NFHS)
had a link to the same information about
Taylor Hooten. They also have a link
directly to a video for coaches and
a video for parents. Please watch these
informative videos and share them with
your athletes and children. The NFHS
has the following information posted
on their web site. The importance of
this topic prompted my decision to include
this information from their web page,
in addition to the link www.nfhs.org
that will take you to the videos about
Taylor Hooten. The site also provides
information regarding high school sports
in the United States.
NFHS
Steroids Awareness
As a means of addressing the growing
problem of steroid abuse in our nation's
high schools, the NFHS has developed
a multimedia educational initiative
called "Make
the Right Choice." The initiative
entails three
items: a DVD containing two 10-minute
videos, two brochures, and two posters.
The first video
is directed toward coaches and students,
while the second one is directed toward
parents. The videos include interviews
with Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony
Dungy, and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback
Trent Green. They also include Don Hooton's
story of his son, Taylor, who tragically
took his own life after suffering from
depression following steroid abuse.
Lori Lewis shares with parents how she
courageously blew the whistle on her
son and fellow teammates after finding
anabolic steroids in her son's room.
Finally, former high school, college,
and semi-professional football player
Ric Dye shares his story of the negative
side effects he suffered from long-term
steroid abuse.
The brochures include medical information
about anabolic steroids, including quick
facts and side effects, as well as measures
that parents and coaches can use to
deter steroid use.
The posters
are directed toward specific genders.
The boy's version includes a photograph
of a young man with a severe case of
back acne that can result from steroid
use. A slightly different approach was
taken for the girl’s version by
using both a photograph of a girl with
back acne as well as a shot of a girl
with facial hair. Superimposed over
those two shots are written examples
of possible negative side effects for
girls.
Order
by Phone Today: 800-776-3462
additional
resources
CHECK
YOURSELF - a place for teens to
check where they are with drugs and
alcohol
Club
Drugs - Dangerous and Deadly Fads
DrugStory.org
- First person stories and personal
accounts from people who have been touched
by substance abuse.
What
kids are saying
Why
Children Use Drugs - Parents often
think that friends or drug dealers may
have pressured their child into taking
drugs. But children say that they choose
to use drugs because they want to...
The
Sad Reality - A former addict, and
Project Prevention client, stated "An
addicted woman will cradle her pipe
before she cradles her own child."
Find out more.
Educators may also find the following
link helpful. The National Institute
on Drug Prevention describes how a new
program is working successfully
to inform high school athletes about
appropriate nutrition and training that
can enhance performance in athletics,
and the harmful effects of steroid use.
The single most significant action coaches
and parents can take is to arm our athletes
and children with facts. Coaches and
parents must get involved, and show
our youth we care about their well being
by delivering a strong message that
they are far too important to bring
harm to themselves from chemicals.
Teens
Speak Out—Provide More Activities!
It's Friday Night Football in the South.
The entire community comes out to watch
their favorite team play. The game is
over and the kids are pumped. It's 10:00
PM and they want to go out. Where do
they go? What do they do? One group
of parents decided to open their home
to the team with food and wide screen
T.V. after every home game. Each athlete
could bring a friend. It was a success
and started happening at other parent's
homes. The local churches are doing
the same thing - opening their doors
to teens so they have a place to call
their own - away from home. A place
they can go and hang out with their
friends and socialize - be accepted
for who they are.
Years ago in the 50s and 60s there
were weekly and monthly school dances.
There were ice cream parlors and burger
joints that had booths and juke boxes
where kids could meet to socialize and
have a shake, soda, or burger. Recently
I had the opportunity to meet with a
colleague who works with teens, some
of whom are completing community service
hours as a consequence of making poor
behavior decisions. She had some feedback
with suggestions for reducing the number
of teens involved with drugs and alcohol.
One of their suggestions was to provide
more activities in the community for
youth. Their view is that teens drink
largely due to the fact they are bored.
That is the teens talking, folks. It's
real, and we need to do something about
it!
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