The Australian Family, September 1999, p. 21
The Australian Parent Movement and the Fight Against Drugs
Never before in the history of civilised people have masses of children been so exposed to and affected by mind-altering drugs. This not only presents serious implications for the here and now, but the acumulative effect of widespread drug use for generations to come is impossible to estimate. As young people pass through the developmental link, from childhood to adulthood i.e. adolescence, they are in the process of forming stable adult personalities. Substances which interfere with this critical process diminish their chances of ever making mature decisions about anything, let alone their drug use. That is why prevention is the most important part of any drug strategy. However, we cannot and should not leave the entire responsibility of formulating policies, to drug and alcohol agencies, health bureaucrats or drug education consultants. To have any chance of successfully guiding our children towards a drug-free life, it is imperative that we all become involved in promoting correct preventative strategies.
The law is in place to reinforce prevention strategies and reduce the level of activity to a degree that can be tolerated by the community. We can only be effective if we convey consistent and credible messages to our young people. In the home, at school, through entertainment and the media. Unfortunately this is not happening. Nor is it likely to happen in the foreseeable future unless parents and community groups become pro-active.
One of the main reasons young people are confused is because of the ongoing and sometimes bitter debate about the legal status of marijuana. On one other hand we have a small and determined minority in favour of legalisation. Many are academics who are highly placed in the bureaucratic system especially in Education and Health. They have created climates of opinion which filter through the whole system. Their publicity comes from certain sections of the media, many of whom are biased and unprofessional in their reporting.
This is a bonus for young drug users who interpret this adult disagreement as a form of advocacy. It also undermines the efforts of parents who are trying to inform and influence their children not to use drugs.
Interpretation and definition of language and objectives also cause confusion. For example the application of Harm Reduction in a school program i.e. drug prevention.
This is a false and misleading message. The only time safer drug use should be suggested is in treatment, and then, only as a continuum leading to abstinence.
Many people believe that the responsibility for the drug culture lies with organised crime. But their role is limited by supply and demand. Cut down on the demand and they would soon have to move into another line of business.
It is the "ant trade" i.e. the cannabis users who underpin the illegal drug structure, because it is largely from this group that users of other illegal drugs are drawn. It is rare to find that drug users start their habit with heroin.
1. Contrary to popular belief, it is not the drug pushers entrapping young people into the drug culture. Most cannabis users share and deal among themselves. The common scenario is a youngster being introduced to cannabis at school, sometimes at the age of eleven or twelve. They start by having an occasional joint or bong in the spirit of bravado and fun. A small drug-using group forms in the class, usually unbeknown to parents or teachers, and throughout the senior years classmates drift in and out of this group.
Some stay, most experiment for a while and then move back to the mainstream. Others might use cannabis every now and then throughout their senior years. And, of course there will be others who are not attracted to the drug scene at all.
2. It is rare for any one over the age of nineteen to become involved in using cannabis. In other words it is during those adolescent years that the die is cast. Those years determine whether or not a person goes on to a normal healthy lifestyle or whether they become caught up in the drug culture. The most vulnerable children are those who do not have a good home life, are social misfits or live in a state of emotional chaos. The most desperate being street kids and state wards, and of course, this group needs specialised care and protection.
However, the majority of young people I counsel come from perfectly stable backgrounds. The fact is that all children are at risk simply because drug use is widespread. The chances are that almost every young person at some time or other will come in contact with illegal drugs. Unfortunately the prevailing attitude is that experimentation with drugs is acceptable and parents really need not be concerned. However, this is the thin edge of the wedge. Drug use and under-age drinking among adolescents should not be regarded as normal; neither should it be regarded as a psychological problem. It is a behavioural problem which requires correction, intervention and common sense from parents, teachers and members of the community.
Many people become regular drug users because first and foremost, it is the dramatic and powerful physical experience of drug-taking itself which captivates the vulnerable and immature adolescent.
For example it has been documented that biologically active molecules in marijuana produce changes in deep brain "pleasure sites" of those who ingest it. When an ingested chemical rather than an achievement stimulates the pleasure centre of the brain - and often to a dramatically stronger degree - the pleasure one experiences rewards and builds the behaviour that has preceded it. Habitual use of marijuana not only sets up a craving for more and more of the euphoric effect but in many cases users look for an even more stimulating experience by experimenting with other psychoactive drugs.
Drug use requires very little skill or effort to produce a very wonderful result. Like other natural pleasures drugs are so compelling that they act below the level of our conscious controls: for example we never really decide to be hungry or to be sexually aroused or to laugh heartily or to fall in love. Psychoactive drugs act directly on the brain's pleasure mechanism and not through the sensory pathways: they are not subject to the built-in neurological controls that govern other natural pleasures.
In other words, unlike natural sensual pleasure such as sex and eating, the frequency and duration of drug-induced pleasures are not limited by the healthy controls of the user.
That is why it is often the "drug taking experience", i.e. the stimulation of the pleasure centre which overwhelms the adolescent.
Cannabis, or as it is more commonly known, marijuana, is often referred to as a simple natural weed, but actually it is the most complex of all the illegal drugs. It has 425 known substances. 65 unique to the cannabis sativa plant. These are classified as cannabinoids. The cannabinoid which causes intoxication is called Delta-9-Tetra hydro cannabinol.
There are two very important features about marijuana. Unlike alcohol which is eliminated from the body within 24 hours, cannabinoids have a half life of approximately one week and the rest are slowly eliminated over several weeks. The other important feature is their fat solubility. After entering the blood by absorption through the lung membranes, they are taken up and held in the body's fat stores and in all organs particularly the testes, ovaries and brain. The brain is particularly vulnerable because it is 1/3 fat.
For adolescents, marijuana and other psychoactive drugs not only alter the personality, they alter the process by which personality is made. Adolescents need to feel physically adequate, to share vigorous relationships and to achieve visibly in some socially-valued field. This is not always possible - at any given time in any classroom in a senior school it is obvious that physical development occurs at different rates. This leaves many a young person feeling embarrassed, resentful and inadequate. Friendships, relationships with the opposite sex and acceptance by peers dominate the life of the adolescent. If these break down, which they invariably do at some time or other, this leads to depression and a deep sense of rejection.
It is not always possible for a young person to achieve academically, socially or in sport and this results in a lack of self-esteem and confidence. If at any time during these unhappy experiences the adolescent discovers that using marijuana diffuses anxiety and stress, it is easy to understand how tempting it is do so. However, there are ways we can help strengthen and protect our children against the desire to experiment with illegal drugs.
While drug education in schools, media reporting and community education all contribute to teaching the young about illegal drugs, the responsibility really belongs to the family. In the event that a child becomes involved in marijuana use, no matter what the reason, it is the entire family unit which is in trouble, not just the child. The burden of decision (what attitude will be taken towards illegal drugs), the enforcement (if rules are set about drug use then they need to be adhered to), and if necessary a cure, all need to be the responsibility of the family. It is the family, by reacting to the distress caused by a drug user which can often make an enormous difference in expressing the serious effect of the drug on health and family life.
To be effective, parents must work together, because drug abuse is a community problem which demands community solutions. One way is to form a parent peer group with the parent of your children's friends. These groups are based on the idea that the most effective way to stop a child from using drugs is to stop his or her friends from using them too. When parents join together and take a united stand against drug abuse, they become much more effective than if they act separately.
The informed parent, regardless of economic or educational level, often becomes a catalyst for broader community and political action when needed. Positive prevention strategies should focus on strengthening the capacity of ordinary people to prevent, diagnose and intervene in illegal intoxicant use which threatens the health and safety of their children.
No one has the interest of a child's welfare more at heart than a parent. This is the raison d'être for the Australian Parent Movement. Our philosophy is to encompass the rich pluralism of family life and build networks of mutually committed and communicating parents who can redefine and re-establish a sense of cohesive community values, to create positive parental peer pressure and to educate parents with accurate and up-to-date information. The reason most people remain part of the silent majority is because of the lack of opportunities to voice their concern. The Australian Parent Movement has become a focus for those concerns, and I urge you to give this organisation your support.