To Parents
Parents of teenagers in Coweta and Fayette Counties Public School System:
Teenagers have never had it so good. Right? They are growing up in an advanced technological universe that was unfathomable to most of us just a few years ago. The future for our youth promises an unlimited rainbow of opportunities and success sometimes in areas that haven't been dreamed of yet. Just thinking of it screams "WOW!"
But first, they have to get there. This new environment brings many challenges. It has never been tougher for our youth to navigate through adolescence without hitting a landmine. High School is not a kind place for students that struggle emotionally. Let's face it... kids can be cruel. Feeling too fat, too thin, too tall, too short, too rich, too poor, too smart, too dumb... every child can struggle. Once the insecurity settles in, the student is vulnerable, which instigates teasing, emotional bullying and being left out. In turn, this creates a fertile environment for anxiety and depression which form a powerful welcoming committee for drugs and alcohol.
For the weary teen, drugs and alcohol seem like a formidable solution. In the short term, they relieve the stress, enhance self-confidence and provide a sense of belonging to a group. Understand this: teen groups that drink and use only have one membership requirement – to drink and use. There is no scholastic bar to hit, no athletic try outs, no secret handshake at the door. Just come on in, grab a beer, light a joint, or hit the THC vape pen. Need something stronger? Hang out... Billy is bringing some Vodka he stole from home and Tabatha said her grandmother has a bottle of oxies she won’t miss. Stay put. You don’t want to miss the party.
But there are problems here that most times the teen won’t recognize until it is too late. Alcohol and drugs – well, they make worse the anxiety and depression a teen is running from. Eventually, the “solution” makes life even more difficult. These substances aren’t child’s play. Alcohol and drugs are habit forming and/or addictive so digging a hole too deep to get out of isn’t uncommon. Suicide ideation may develop; today teenagers are taking their own life in record numbers. Permanent mental disorders like drug-induced psychosis can occur. But even if the teen is fortunate enough to skirt these outcomes, there is one thing drugs and alcohol always do – every single time – no matter when, where or how much... they create high risk behavior.
When teens drive after drinking or smoking they have an exponentially higher risk of a fatal accident. Your teen doesn’t have to be the driver to face these odds. You might say your teenager is smarter than that... “We have talked about these things and my teen is responsible.” Fantastic! That is a great start, but... please remember, taking Uber does not eliminate all high risk behavior brought on by teenage alcohol and drug use. Unprotected sex, leading to unplanned pregnancy, is a nightmare to traverse at any age... but as a teen? In high school? It is tragic. If one is drunk, they may fall and crack their skull trying to get into the Uber vehicle. The chance of falling, drowning, physical altercations, alcohol poisoning, overdose (especially with street drugs), rape, sexually transmitted diseases, criminal charges, and so much more are always increased by alcohol and drug use especially for teens due to lack of fully-developed brains and experience.
I have heard Chris Herren speak to teenagers in auditoriums and basketball gyms... when he is speaking you could hear a pin drop. Amazingly perhaps, these teenagers listen. He addresses these difficult issues at their provenance. From his own experience he knows that problematic drug and alcohol use by teenagers is the effect of feeling “less than” and not believing one measures up. The heart-wrenching details of his own journey from high school basketball star to a $20K a month drug habit reveal a beginning in adolescence as he was full of fear, low-self worth and a belief he never fit in. In the award-winning ESPN special called “The First Day” Chris tells the students this (paraphrased):
“Why do you think of drug addicts and alcoholics as homeless people and prostitutes instead of short stops and soccer players? I don’t know if you are aware of this, but I was told that 26 alumni from this school district lost their lives last year from either alcohol or drugs. Do yourself a favor and go knock on the door of the parents that just buried one of your alumni and ask to see a picture of their child when they were in high school. Say, ‘can I see a picture of your son or daughter when they were in high school?’ What... you think they look different than you? Those kids were drinking and smoking in the same woods you are drinking and smoking in. They are buying alcohol from the same place you buy your alcohol from. Yet, you think it will never happen to you. Let me just tell you... they never thought it would happen to them either.”
I believe that having Chris Herren speak to all of the high school students at all of the public high schools in Coweta and Fayette County will make a significant impact in our communities. I believe that every student that is seated at the event will be positively affected. I believe hundreds of those students will alter their lives and change their path and destiny. I believe that at each school Chris speaks, there will be at least one child whose life will be saved.
I’m in….
Mike LaTella
C-MAC (Certified Master Addiction Counselor)
Owner - LifeSwitch Addiction Counseling Center
& LifeSwitch Driving Academy