Good News/Bad News about Nicotine And Other Thoughts On Pandemic Parenting
Darth Vaper is still around, but has fewer fans. That’s the good news. The bad news is that those youngsters who are using nicotine are starting younger and using more intensely: https://tinyurl.com/29trcw4u The younger adolescents are when they start exposing their sensitive, growing brains to nicotine, the more likely they are to become acutely addicted to any product that contains nicotine. Kids also have a whole new world of dazzling nicotine products to choose from. JUUL was the first truly cool-looking, high quality electronic...
read moreNicotine Makes a Worrisome Comeback
I travel the world doing prevention seminars at schools and my greatest concern right now is the explosive popularity of Vaping. Electronic cigarettes of all kinds are essentially nicotine delivery devices – they come in many shapes and sizes and go by different names – e cigs, vapes, vape pens, and most recently Juuls. The ultra-modern, sleekly designed Juul pen and pods, are simple to use and very easy to hide. The equipment itself looks like a USB drive and unlike combustible tobacco cigarettes, it leaves no actual smoke or...
read moreGals, It Is A Lot Safer To Be Sober
Being drunk puts a body at increased risk for all kinds of things, including sexual assault. That is all we are saying. Alcohol abuse is first and foremost a health and safety issue. I am not sure that feminism plays a big role in this arena. In my mind, feminism is about self-determination and having choices. When a woman is drunk, she shrinks her options and gives up control of herself and her evening to alcohol’s effects and whatever pigs might be at the party. Ladies, you have the right to get smashed, you have the right to...
read moreNo Need For Parents To Lie About Past Drug Use
This is the last installment of a blog series that will dispel the 10 most common and stubborn myths parents believe about exposing children to alcohol. Today we tackle big, fat myth #10: If I used alcohol or other drugs as a teen, I guess I’ll have to lie about it to my children or it will give them permission to do the same thing… I saved the best for last! This one is tough – I’ve been thinking about it for almost 20 years. I don’t think you have to lie – if your child asks you about your own life, he or she is...
read moreKids Do Not Always Listen, But They Hear
This is the eighth installment of a blog series that will dispel the 10 most common and stubborn myths parents believe about exposing children to alcohol. This time we will tackle big, fat myth #9: It doesn’t matter what I say to my child about substances, my voice will be eclipsed by outside influences… Not true! Please don’t take a back seat to MTV, Twitter, popular music, movies and advertising. You can let Media “educate” your child or you can be the key educator in your child’s life. Everyone else is talking to your...
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