Showing posts with label alcoholism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label alcoholism. Show all posts
Tuesday, 24 July 2012
Sunday, 12 June 2011
Graduation Day - Directed by Andrew Gallery
Graduation can be a wonderful celebration, but it does not need to include booze. Alcohol kills more people than all other drugs combined. Have a safe graduation and never drink and drive.
Saturday, 19 March 2011
Friday, 18 March 2011
Responsible Parents For a Safe High School Graduation
"Parents should realize that just because it's prom or graduation season, doesn't mean that healthy structure for teenagers should be compromised. There have been many recent cases of permissive parents who have provided support or, perhaps, tacit approval of unhealthy teenage behaviors during high school prom and graduation season. Although most parents want teenagers to make safe and healthy choices at all times, during prom and graduation season, the focus should be on being a responsible parent to your child and not his or her "friend". Striving to be the "cool" parent during prom or graduation can lead to disastrous results. So that means, no renting hotel rooms for teens, providing them with alcohol or allowing them to drink at home, etc. Most prom or graduation horror stories are the direct result of unhealthy choices made by parents.
A recent study reveals that almost half of teen traffic fatalities during prom and graduation weekends were alcohol-related. Fatal car accidents, injuries, and assaults are not an adolescent rite of passage for any teen. Underage drinking is a major factor in the two leading causes of teenage deaths: car crashes and fatal injuries. It's also linked to two-thirds of sexual assaults and date rapes of teens, and increases the likelihood of unsafe and unplanned sexual activity. Many students who normally choose not to drink or engage in sexual behavior are tempted and under enormous peer pressure to be part of the prom or graduation party. Parents need to set appropriate expectations and continue to adhere to household rules about alcohol use and curfews. Many states are prosecuting parents who serve alcohol to minors." ---Marty Wolner
A recent study reveals that almost half of teen traffic fatalities during prom and graduation weekends were alcohol-related. Fatal car accidents, injuries, and assaults are not an adolescent rite of passage for any teen. Underage drinking is a major factor in the two leading causes of teenage deaths: car crashes and fatal injuries. It's also linked to two-thirds of sexual assaults and date rapes of teens, and increases the likelihood of unsafe and unplanned sexual activity. Many students who normally choose not to drink or engage in sexual behavior are tempted and under enormous peer pressure to be part of the prom or graduation party. Parents need to set appropriate expectations and continue to adhere to household rules about alcohol use and curfews. Many states are prosecuting parents who serve alcohol to minors." ---Marty Wolner
Wednesday, 9 March 2011
Booze and Graduation
High school graduation is around the corner. Teens need to stay sober to enjoy the celebrations.
Five reasons why alcohol can ruin prom night or graduation.
1.They May Not Remember - Teens spend months preparing for prom and graduation and cherish those memories throughout their lives. But if they drink, there’s a good chance they may not remember any of it.
The hippocampus, the area in the brain that stores memory, is still maturing in teens. Drinking even small amounts of alcohol can make kids forget what they did while drinking and even black-out completely.
2. They May Do Things They Don’t Want to Do - Alcohol helps release inhibitions, and teens who drink may indulge in risky behaviours such as unprotected sex or drunk driving. The brain’s prefrontal cortex, which is involved in planning and decision-making, does not completely mature until a person’s mid-to-late twenties. Using alcohol can harm a teen’s ability to reason and weigh options instead of just doing something because it is fun or feels good.
3. They May Get Into Fights - Research shows that teens who drink are often more violent than those who do not. For example, 7th graders who drank averaged almost twice as many violent behaviours as those who didn’t, according to a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A report from Ormond Street Hospital in London says that almost a fifth of 12-13 year olds and more than a quarter of 14-15 year olds reported damaging or destroying things after drinking.
4. They May Get Really Sick - Who wants to spend prom night throwing up or so dizzy that he or she can’t dance? Alcohol can irritate the stomach causing dehydration, which often leads to vomiting and dizziness. Throwing up also may be a sign of alcohol poisoning, which causes body systems to break down and requires immediate medical care. That’s a good way to ruin everyone’s night.
5. They May Feel Horrible for the Next Couple of Days - Even small amounts of alcohol can cause a hangover, which can lead to thirst, dizziness and light-headedness. Headaches caused by blood vessel expansion and sleepiness due to narcotic effects on the central nervous system are other symptoms of a hangover. Your teen may have to forgo events scheduled for the next day or two while trying to get better.
(American Association for the Advancement of Science).
Booze is the myth. It is not happiness it is loss. TJS
Five reasons why alcohol can ruin prom night or graduation.
1.They May Not Remember - Teens spend months preparing for prom and graduation and cherish those memories throughout their lives. But if they drink, there’s a good chance they may not remember any of it.
The hippocampus, the area in the brain that stores memory, is still maturing in teens. Drinking even small amounts of alcohol can make kids forget what they did while drinking and even black-out completely.
2. They May Do Things They Don’t Want to Do - Alcohol helps release inhibitions, and teens who drink may indulge in risky behaviours such as unprotected sex or drunk driving. The brain’s prefrontal cortex, which is involved in planning and decision-making, does not completely mature until a person’s mid-to-late twenties. Using alcohol can harm a teen’s ability to reason and weigh options instead of just doing something because it is fun or feels good.
3. They May Get Into Fights - Research shows that teens who drink are often more violent than those who do not. For example, 7th graders who drank averaged almost twice as many violent behaviours as those who didn’t, according to a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A report from Ormond Street Hospital in London says that almost a fifth of 12-13 year olds and more than a quarter of 14-15 year olds reported damaging or destroying things after drinking.
4. They May Get Really Sick - Who wants to spend prom night throwing up or so dizzy that he or she can’t dance? Alcohol can irritate the stomach causing dehydration, which often leads to vomiting and dizziness. Throwing up also may be a sign of alcohol poisoning, which causes body systems to break down and requires immediate medical care. That’s a good way to ruin everyone’s night.
5. They May Feel Horrible for the Next Couple of Days - Even small amounts of alcohol can cause a hangover, which can lead to thirst, dizziness and light-headedness. Headaches caused by blood vessel expansion and sleepiness due to narcotic effects on the central nervous system are other symptoms of a hangover. Your teen may have to forgo events scheduled for the next day or two while trying to get better.
(American Association for the Advancement of Science).
Booze is the myth. It is not happiness it is loss. TJS
Friday, 27 August 2010
The Funeral
The Funeral (Wieahnakapi)
Dave’s brother was eaten by his dogs. At least a third of him was.
In a broken home with locked doors nestled in a field among trees
No shouts were heard as drugs and booze numbed his waking.
Alone he died with the cries of generations like whispers
Moving through the trees.
The prairie wind snapped the edges of the make shift tents as the women placed the feast food and family gifts on the floor.
Prayers rose to the sky and were carried away in the blessing of the sweet grass. Servers passed the food in gentle caring circles with the elders filling baskets and containers to sustain them at home.
Words were shared and quiet conversation passed the time until all was given and nothing was left. In a beautiful rhythm on that hot July day the many gathered followed their same way home.
Dave’s brother was dead. Dave leaned on the truck. His mother had fallen asleep on the couch alongside her home.
Todd Sojonky 2002
Dave’s brother was eaten by his dogs. At least a third of him was.
In a broken home with locked doors nestled in a field among trees
No shouts were heard as drugs and booze numbed his waking.
Alone he died with the cries of generations like whispers
Moving through the trees.
The prairie wind snapped the edges of the make shift tents as the women placed the feast food and family gifts on the floor.
Prayers rose to the sky and were carried away in the blessing of the sweet grass. Servers passed the food in gentle caring circles with the elders filling baskets and containers to sustain them at home.
Words were shared and quiet conversation passed the time until all was given and nothing was left. In a beautiful rhythm on that hot July day the many gathered followed their same way home.
Dave’s brother was dead. Dave leaned on the truck. His mother had fallen asleep on the couch alongside her home.
Todd Sojonky 2002
Monday, 26 April 2010
Monday, 25 January 2010
Long Afternoons
Caroline Knapp's moving book, Drinking: A Love Story is a challenging journey into self-discovery. She details the fear we have of really being 'in our skin.' Of knowing who we are and accepting it. It is well worth the read.
"There’s something about facing long afternoons without the numbing distraction of any sort of anesthesia that disabuses you of the belief in externals, shows you that strength and hope come not from circumstances or the acquisition of things but from the simple accumulation of active experience, from gritting the teeth and checking the items off the list, one by one, even though it’s painful and you’re afraid....Passivity is corrosive to the soul; it feeds on feelings of integrity and pride, and it can be as tempting as a drug. If it feels warm and fuzzy, it is probably the [addictive] choice. If it feels dangerous and scary and threatening and painful, it is probably healthy."
"There’s something about facing long afternoons without the numbing distraction of any sort of anesthesia that disabuses you of the belief in externals, shows you that strength and hope come not from circumstances or the acquisition of things but from the simple accumulation of active experience, from gritting the teeth and checking the items off the list, one by one, even though it’s painful and you’re afraid....Passivity is corrosive to the soul; it feeds on feelings of integrity and pride, and it can be as tempting as a drug. If it feels warm and fuzzy, it is probably the [addictive] choice. If it feels dangerous and scary and threatening and painful, it is probably healthy."
Tuesday, 16 June 2009
My Family
"My family left me and I was really young. I had to live in a care home. Alcohol got to them and now it's getting to other people. I live in a foster home and I don't even think about it. Alcohol is an addiction that hooks people."
Saturday, 21 February 2009
Family Love: A Sincere Valentine
Family Love
My family all loved me; they all did but my parents,
all they did was drink. They didn't care about me and they didn't know that I still love them.I still love my parents even when they drink I will still love them.
I hardly get to see them anymore.
They live far away and always drink a lot.
But I still love them.
-----Willard (15yrs old)
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