Five drug myths on campus

A few days ago I posted a column from a very bright student from University of California, Santa Barbara. She wrote about drugs and alcohol on the college campus and I am pleased to post her next column about drug myths on campus.

Here are Jessica’s unedited findings:

While talking to college students on UCSB campus about drugs and alcohol, I came across some a few myths that are used by students as excuses to justify their use of illegal drugs or underage drinking. The nature of these myths seemed very troubling to me so I wanted to share them with you and address some of them.

• Weed is better than alcohol. The THC level in marijuana has gone up dramatically over the years. Most of the studies and research available about marijuana are based on the old THC levels; so technically, we don’t have enough information about weed to make this claim. Even if weed is truly less damaging to your body than alcohol, so what? How about do neither? You may not get into a fist fight as a result of smoking weed like you would with alcohol, but still, sitting in front of a TV and drooling while playing video games for hours is far away from healthy. I just wish we could all raise the bar on what we do with our time.

• I only drink; I don’t do drugs. This is the same argument as the first one – only backwards. It is paradoxical enough that we have enough people fighting just as passionately on both sides of this argument. I honestly have a hard time digesting the difference. They are both alien substances put in your body that compromise your judgment and functionality. They also have the capability of hurting your career and your loved ones. Why take the risk?

• Moderation is key. No, it’s not. The naive thought behind this argument is that you are the one in charge in the battle of you against drugs. You are not. The drugs are in charge. At some point, they will override your will power, your intentions, and any costs you have to pay.

• This celebrity does it and she/he is still successful. I cannot tell you how many people fought with me about this one. Whether it’s Miley Cyrus and Madonna talking about taking Molly (a popular form of ecstasy), or Michael Phelps being caught on camera smoking pot, the students can give you an example of any type of celebrities in any category or status. They conclude from this argument that you can still be successful regardless of your drug habit. My thought is the list of celebrities that have gotten in trouble because of alcoholism or addiction is just as long (how many seasons of celebrity rehab??) Again, why take that risk?

• It treats my anxiety or depression and it’s safer than pharmaceuticals. First, an underlying anxiety or depression condition requires therapy as well as medication. Numbing out such mental conditions without the therapy work is useless. You are not working on resolving anything. Second, illegal drugs are not meant to target mental conditions. Their sole purpose is to get you high and to get you addicted enough to come back for more. Third, how do you know they are safer? Pharmaceutical medications go through many trials and studies. They need to be approved before they go on the market and monitored after. Who is screening or regulating street drugs? No one!

I am fully aware that my thoughts are not very popular among my fellow college students and I am okay with that. It is extremely important that this subject is discussed not only on campus, but at home with parents. The temptations to fool around with alcohol and drugs on campus are plentiful. Unless a solid foundation is already laid in the mind of the students before arriving on campus, it will be easy to fall and the consequences can be devastating.

While writing this column, I learned that one of the students I interviewed about his drug habit has passed away as the result of taking too many stimulants. He was only 19 years old. The news hit me and his friends very hard. I cannot imagine the pain of his parents. This is why I am so passionate about having discussions like this and debunking the drug myths. Sugarcoating is not acceptable. We need to let our students know the risks. We need to talk about the consequences.

If I can be of service, please visit my website www.familyrecoverysolutions.com or call (805) 695-0049. In addition, I invite you to explore my book Reclaim Your Life – You and the Alcoholic/Addict at www.reclaimyourlifebook.com, PayPal or on Amazon. In addition, my book is available as an audio on my website only.