You’re right it’s not crack… It’s worse
By Patricia San Pedro
It’s tragic to see kids drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana or using any other drug. Tragic because they have their whole life ahead of them. Tragic because we, the adults in our community, are often guilty of just accepting it as a social norm. We the adults in our community too often look the other way.
We don’t get involved or even worse, we don’t think it’s that big of a deal. It is tragic because today through science and research we know just how grave the effects of alcohol and other drugs are on a still developing brain. Sadly, many of our kids are experimenting at younger and younger ages which is now scientifically proven to exponentially increase the likelihood of addiction throughout that child or teenager’s life.
United Way of Broward County Commission on Substance Abuse whose members include community coalitions from all over South Florida, have spearheaded the effort to bring these issues front and center because we are losing our children and teens to alcohol, marijuana and other drug use.
The fact is, while the rules for behavior are largely established at home, the community is almost as important as the family. At the core of this community are moms.
Research tells us time and time again that kids say parents are the #1 influence in their lives. Furthermore, moms have the most intimate knowledge of their kids’ behaviors. It follows that moms who band together with other like-minded moms will substantially increase the possibility that their kids will make the better choice when faced with the decision of whether or not to use alcohol, marijuana or any other drug. And, make no mistake, virtually all of our children will have to make that decision at some point in their young lives.
Instilling hope, structure, perseverance, resiliency and determination in our children and teens requires a village. Moms are the natural first step in creating and securing this village. Moms surrounded by other moms who are like-minded, create a structure, a village, a place for kids to grow up free from alcohol and other drugs.
To find out more about the “I am MOM” campaign to keep our kids away from alcohol or other drug use, please visit www.drugfreebroward.org
