Crystal meth is scary. Incredibly addictive recreational use can so easily progress to addiction, and the physical, mental spiritual harm done by an addiction to meth is beyond compare.

The health risks of meth

Meth addicts can expect greatly accelerated physical aging, cognitive declines, early dementia, and a fantastically increased risk for a host of diseases and cancers. Characteristic meth mouth is but one of the obvious and external signs of the damage of the drug, and a few years of meth use visibly ages the body by decades.

The mental anguish of a meth addiction also devastates, and the high is punished with extreme lows of depression and despair, and those meth users who do manage to quit their addiction face months or even years of very intense depression and dysphoria as the brain struggles to right itself from the legacy of abuse. The sad fact is that some people can never completely recover from a meth addiction.

So it’s very worrying when a recent survey commissioned by the non profit Meth Project finds that more than half of all parents never speak to their kids about the dangers of crystal meth.

Scary attitudes

Perhaps even more disturbing is the attitude today’s teens hold towards the drug, and a scary percentage do not fear the drug, and even more worrisome percentage sees some benefit from taking the drug.

33% see little harm in experimenting with crystal meth, 25% actually see some benefit to trying the drug (weight loss, fun) and almost half of all surveyed reported that their friends would not have any problem with them if they started experimenting with crystal meth.

Teens are prone to experiment with drugs and alcohol, and parents can only do so much to protect their kids from the dangers that lurk outside of the home, but neither are teens unresponsive to drug education and those teens that do get the facts about meth are far less likely to report positive associations with the drug, and far less likely to risk addiction with casual experimentation.

The job falls to parents to do a better job teaching kids of the dangers of meth and warning them of the ease of addiction, and the lifelong battle that would then ensue. We won’t beat meth in this country overnight, but we could do a lot to better the problem just by getting informed and speaking with our kids about real dangers of the drug(How to beat a meth addiction).

A teen meth addiction is surely every parent’s worst nightmare, and of all the drugs out there–and there are some very destructive intoxicants–meth is by far the worse, by far the most addictive, and by far the most destructive.

It’s never a guarantee, but a few words with your kids can do a lot, and may just save a lifetime of heartbreak.

Christian Shire is an addictions professional writing about all matters pertaining to treatment and recovery. If you need help making a decision about treatment visit Choosehelp to read more.

Read the daily addiction blog troubleblog for stories of recovery and the latest news on treatment options.

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There are few drugs more addictive than crystal meth, and the intense and pleasurable high so easily seduces recreational users into abuse and addiction; and with addiction, the physical, mental and spiritual devastation is tragic.

Meth addicts age by literally decades in a few short years of abuse. Meth mouth (meth destroys the teeth) is but one of the obvious and external faces of the damage of meth, and the internal damage is just if not more severe. Meth use increases the risks for a host of cancers, for fatal heart disease, for Parkinson’s and even for very early dementia.

Meth takes happiness away

And the soul suffers most of all. There is a price to be paid for the extreme pleasure of a meth high, and meth addicts soon find the depression and dysphoria of sobriety unbearable, and need continual meth intoxication just to avoid the soul crushing feelings of normalcy. Those meth addicts that do conquer the cravings and the physical addiction are faced with months or even years of lingering depression, and some meth addicts report never truly feeling happy again after prolonged addiction(How to beat a meth addiction).

Parents need to protect their kids from the dangers of meth, but astonishingly, about half of all parents never even bother to speak with their kids about the dangers of the drug. Reflecting this, today’s teens are very ill informed as to the real dangers of meth use, and a recent study commissioned by the Meth Project (a non profit group) found that about one in three teens did not see much harm in experimenting with the drug, and an even scarier 25% even saw some benefits to meth use (weight loss, and enjoyment).

How to keep kids safe

There are a number of things that parents can do to keep kids safe from meth, but everything needs to start with a dialogue that continues throughout the years about the dangers of meth.

Additionally, parents need to stay involved and active in their teen’s life and make sure they are close and involved enough to be ready to spot any signs of drug or alcohol abuse, and if so, to get help at the earliest possible opportunity.

Parents need to make clear the family policy on drug and alcohol, discuss the reasons for your concerns, and also the consequences for breaking the family no-substance use policy. Parents also need to set a good example, and kids are quick to spot a hypocrite; and don’t often listen to a “do as I say and not as I do” type of parent.

Parents can set a good example by using alcohol only in moderation, and by never using illegal drugs.

There are no guarantees

There are no guarantees, and every time your teen leaves the house they step into a world of danger and temptation. All you can do is give them the tools they need to stay drug free, educate them as to the dangers, and stay involved enough to be able to spot a problem at the earliest possible opportunity.

You do your best and hope for the best; but if you don’t talk to your kids about the dangers of meth, you are taking a very big gamble with their health and happiness.

Christian Shire is an addictions professional writing about all matters pertaining to treatment and recovery. If you need help making a decision about treatment visit Choosehelp to read more.

Read the daily addiction blog Troubleblog for stories of recovery and the latest news on treatment options.

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I remember a conversation I had with a police detective some 35 years ago. He was telling me about what a mother had told him over the phone about her teenaged son. “Once he’s out of the house, he’s not our problem.” The detective, who served an upscale suburban community, was explaining to me that parents can be irresponsible and in his mind almost criminal in their neglect of children.

Parents are the most important people in a child’s life. They set the tone for everything. If parents abuse drugs, the children are likely to abuse drugs. If husbands beat their wives, their sons will likely be wife beaters too. If parents divorce and abandon their children, those children are not likely to become model parents either. Parents are the front line in the prevention of drug abuse and there’s so much they can do to try to secure the best possible future for their children.

The trouble is parents want schools to do everything. Teachers become parents, because “once he’s out of the house he’s not our problem.” What happens in the home is more important than what happens in the classroom. Parents can set the example by being informed. That begins with understanding the dangers of prescription medication. What is in your medicine cabinet? Do you know what medications are in the house, and how much of that medication you have? Are medications out of date?

Take an inventory and keep track of what is in the house.

If a medication runs out too quickly, that is a sign that someone might be abusing that drug. Talk to your kids and make this a family project.

Teens especially will experiment with drugs. They hear about the experiences of their friends. They want to be cool and part of the crowd. If they experiment with the drugs in your house, what will happen? If you have a pain medication, what will that do? If you have a stimulant of some kind, what will that do? What are the dangers of overdose? Ask yourself, what are the dangers to my child?

Take control. Be the parent, the adult. Have an open conversation with your children about drugs, especially the drugs in your house. Stay on top of it and know the inventory. Make connections with principals and teachers at the school, with your family doctor and pharmacist, and with local law enforcement officials.

Be savvy. Know what is in your house, in the community and the potential negative impact it will have on your family. Drug abuse prevention starts in the home with responsible parents. Having this family discussion and having a plan about how to handle the medications in your home will be an effective preventative measure.

Rev. Ned Wicker is a certified hospital chaplain working with people who struggle drug and alcohol addiction. His website is: Drug-Addiction-Support.org

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