What are the consequences of teen decisions to do illegal drugs?

Teen Drug Abuse
Ellie

· Life-threatening
o “Alcohol kills 6 ½ times more teenagers than all other illicit drugs combined.” (1)
· Use when pregnant can cause baby to be premature and cause deformity.
· Causes dependency
o “The body craves the drug in a similar way to needing oxygen” (3)
· Decreases appetite.
· Toxic
· Addiction
· Hurts your brain.
· Causes homicidal and suicidal thoughts.
o “In the United States, approximately three-fourths of all deaths among persons aged 10--24 years result from only four causes: motor-vehicle crashes, other unintentional injuries, homicide, and suicide.” (2)
· “Behaviors associated with drug abuse now are one of the largest factors in the spread of HIV infection in the United States.” (5)
· Make bad decisions
· Affects how you feel and act
· Memory loss
· Paranoia
· Fatigue
· Irritability
· Intense hunger
· Depression
· Anxiety
· Psychotic reactions
· Impairments in learning and memory
· Declining grades
· Illegal
· “Loss of interest in activities and hobbies that were once pleasurable” (4)
· “Underage drinking costs the United States more than $58 billion every year.” (1)
· “More than 60 percent of teens said that drugs were sold, used, or kept at their school.” (1)

Works Cited

(1) Teen Help LLC. "Statistics on Teenage Drug Use." Teen Drug Abuse. Undefined. . 7 June 2008. .

(2) "National Drug Statistics Summary." Adolescent Substance Abuse Knowledge Base. 2007. . 7 June 2008. .

(3) Drug Addiction & Drug Abuse. 2007. . 7 June 2008. .

(4) "Treatment." Sonoma Center for Change . 2008. Sonoma Center for Change LLC. 7 June 2008. .

(5) "Facts on Drugs." NIDA for Teens. . NIDA. 7 June 2008. .

Cultures of Intimidation

“Power” has many components. Certainly, it can be a way to bring about change for the greater societal good. Power is often defined as the capacity to influence others' behavior.

But not all persons who are powerful seek to spread goodwill. In fact, society today is full of persons who use power to intimidate others. They’re known variously as bullies, tyrants, oppressors, persecutors, intimidators, tough guys, tormenters, or thugs.

Whatever the label, people who use power for selfish gain try to make others feel small, afraid, and powerless. A reason for an intimidator’s behavior might be as simple as a desire to be liked. Sometimes tough guys are angry or frustrated, or they may have been bullied by someone else.

Types of intimidation include physical, verbal, and relational.

Since using power in negative ways is a learned behavior, can’t behaviors be changed? So what do suburban youth think can be done to protect others from tormentors?

Viewpoints on War

What do you think about war? These public service announcements were created by suburban youth to help others consider the issue. Leave your comments on our blog.

Bullying has got to go!

Dave is a student at Taylor High School who's been researching different points of view about Oppressors. He's created a Graffitti Wall that illustrates what famous persons have said about his issue of interest.

Here are the quotes he's found that discuss intimidation in its various forms.

"The bullying stopped when I claimed myself and proved that I wasn't afraid." Randy Harrison

"Bullying wasn't okay in elementary school and it isn't okay now, especially when it comes in the form of a U.S. Supreme Court decision." John Doolittle

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." Eleanor Roosevelt

"People who fight fire with fire usually end up with ashes." Abigail Van Buren

"Eagerness to please attracts bullies and bores." Mason Cooley

"Courage is fire, and bullying is smoke." Benjamin Disraeli

"Everyone who wants to do good to the human race always ends in universal bullying." Alduous Huxley

"True courage is cool and calm. The bravest of men have the least of a soothing, bullying insolence, and in the very time of danger are found the most serene and free." Lord Shaflesbury

What do you think about these quotes? What do you think about people who torment others?

Write your comments on this blog and help us to gain further insight into this topic, as imbalanced power relationships just won't seem to go away in public schools, in the workplace, and in society as a whole. Maybe you can help us to make some progress.

Music Montage: War and Its Casualties

Hi. I'm Jarred.

This is a Music Montage where several pieces of music that I chose will speak to the various points of the views different people hold about the issue of war. The songs chosen were Civil War by Guns ‘N’ Roses and Burn It Down by Avenged Sevenfold. They both hold strong points of view on the topic of war and of people that surround all, in war and our daily life.

As you read the lyrics, they can clearly represent the struggle between one human and another. These humans have it hard and are in something that is not at all civil. They are fighting more than just a war; they are fighting one another. Humans fight constantly; they find themselves being betrayed and cast out from others because “it feeds the rich while it buries the poor.” Humans without power are the ones that risk their lives.

Along their time in battle, they lose hope because they do not have the help and support from others at every moment. “You're on my back when the water gets too deep for you to breathe, a crutch for you that won't always be there.” War is a battle, but not just between two countries: it is so much more than that, because the humans fight to survive, almost like high school students trying to stay above all, keeping their status as being popular and on top of the pyramid.

Keeping your head up is not an option, because only the strong will survive in the real world. It is not like high school where you can fake your way through the harm you feel from others. Soldiers must trust other soldiers, keep the faith, never doubt anyone, and follow orders to stay out of the “groceries store” of dead soldiers.

There is nothing civil about war; it is a dangerous place full of death, full of lies, full of hatred, breeding of leading and deceiving humans and their lives. These soldiers get led “in a human grocery store” that is always open because war does not stop, not in night, not in morning. You may not mourn those lost, for war does not wait, for “falling away, can't buy back time.”


Lyrics

Civil War by Guns ‘N’ Roses and Burn It Down by Avenged Sevenfold

"What we've got here is failure to communicate. Some men you just can't reach...So, you get what we had here last week, which is the way he wants it! Well, he gets it! N' I don't like it any more than you men." * a
I can't trust anyone, witness and see it in my eyes Now I can understand, put faith in you for the last time It's sorrow that feeds your lies Falling away, can't buy back time

I don't need your civil war It feeds the rich while it buries the poor Your power hungry sellin' soldiers In a human grocery store Ain't that fresh

You're on my back when the water gets too deep for you to breath A crutch for you that won't always be there Hide in the dark another day, the fear in you is here to stay So keep the * away from me and learn to trust the words I say

You chose the wrong side (it feels so right)I won't help you, let you rot away (despise what you say) Run towards the light exposing your soul (we won't be there by your side) Salvation's dying (somebody's crying)We're all gone in the end, sweet child we'll miss you No, so far away, far away

My hands are tied For all I've seen has changed my mind But still the wars go on as the years go by With no love of God or human rights 'Cause all these dreams are swept aside By bloody hands of the hypnotized Who carry the cross of homicide And history bears the scars of our civil wars

And I don't need your civil war It feeds the rich while it buries the poor Your power hungry sellin' soldiers In a human grocery store Ain't that fresh I don't need your civil war

Converse behind my back, but now I'm here Need no one to comply with me though everyone that I defeat Don't need you, * camaraderie, this rage will never go away One king to watch the horsemen fall

Look at the hate we're breeding Look at the fear we're feeding Look at the lives we're leading The way we've always done before

I don't need one more war Whaz so civil 'bout war anyway