By Alex Byanyiko
Believe it or not, dealing with people who have lost control over their misuse of drugs, be it cocaine, opoids (prescription drugs for severe pain but often abused), marijuana, tobacco or alcohol, is one of the most challenging thing in the world. It is equally challenging, most times even more so for the victims themselves.
Although initially it may be a personal decision to use drugs, continues use or misuse becomes compulsive, especially amongst teenagers whose brains are just developing.
Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation wrote that, ‘brain cells, called neurons, are generally covered and protected with fatty substance called myelin. This myelin acts like an insulator, helping the brain messages to travel from neuron to neuron, cell to cell, like electricity flowing through a series of telephone wires. While the neurons in adult brain are well myelinated, and well protected, the maturing neurons in a teen brain have more myelination to undergo.’
This corroborates many scientific findings that drugs have more devastating effects on the brain of teens since their brains are still undergoing ‘structural’ development. They are more vulnerable to addictive substances and are more likely to suffer relapses while trying to quit, than those who begin misusing drugs in their adult life.
Those who have cared to read my previous writings on this issue would have realized that my emphasis has been on prevention. It is the most effective strategy of fighting drug addiction in any given society. It is cheaper and, if pursued vigorously, can actually throw drug dealers out of business.
My goal for this is to get parents and guardians informed, as they are the ones who begin the training of members of society. So that they, in turn, can also give timely information to their children and wards to enable them take informed decisions over the use. and, or misuse of drugs.
As a child, I watched my father (God rest his soul) struggle with tobacco and alcohol all his life. And he lived a short life where the reality of such lifestyle caught up with him at the age of 49.
I have had cause to argue with a friend who told me that his own father had been an alcoholic for as long as he could remember and that his father was well into his sixties. He also argued that, on the other hand, he had seen people who never had issues with drugs die young too. But it is less than a decade since we had that argument and I believe now he should know better judging the resources they are currently committing to their father’s health-related challenges.
No doubt health challenges are associated with aging people, but research has shown that it is more so with those suffering from long time loss of control over the misuse of drugs, whose body organs get negatively affected by such substances over time.
Moreover, a close observation of those who have lost control over the misuse of drugs easily shows premature ageing even from their physical appearance, how much more with their body organs which take in poisonous substances, no matter how mildly.
Families suffer the consequences of drug addiction first, before it extends to the society. But this is not the reason I think that families should take the issue of educating and enlightening their children seriously.
Over the years, it has become too obvious that our society is so sick today because our family values suffer degeneration. We have more criminals because families are failing to instill discipline on their children; families are failing to place value on hard work and delayed gratification; families are failing to provide for their children. In fact, some families just bring children into the world and leave them at the mercy of the every crime that is ravaging our societies.
If families can take full responsibility of educating and enlightening their children about the effects of drug addiction, we can overcome its menace in our society.
One secret I never shared with anyone was a day my late father talked to me about his smoking and drinking challenges. He said those were no things he was proud of and that he had been trying hard to quit and believed that one day he would. I never needed any word of advice concerning that from anybody. At a point in my life I almost derailed, but recollecting that conversation with my father, I immediately changed course. With the benefit of hindsight now I can imagine how much courage it took him to share that with me.
Families should pay attention to the media content that their children are exposed to, difficult as this can be. Most negative influence come from what children see on TV, listen on the radio, read on magazines and now, the social media. Because children learn by imitation, sometimes they end up imitating wrong people who desperately need help, but parade themselves as role models, especially musicians and actors.
Parents and guardians also need to pay close attention to the friends and associates of their children and wards. Most people whose destinies have been derailed or are being derailed fell into that trap because of wrong associations. This is what sociologists and psychologists call peer pressure. Very few children are confident enough to be themselves in the presence of those who already have drug-related issues. In fact, most times, people who are already involved are too eager to have others join them in their self-destructive behavior.
I remember a conversation with a childhood friend whom we had shared the dream of becoming rap stars in the late 90s. We were to perform at the University of Jos, and he was passionately telling me of how much better of a performer I could be, if I shared his weed. Well, I would rather not go further with this story.
Dr. Ben Carson, an American neurosurgeon, describes peers as ‘people who encourage errors, rudeness and stupidity.’ To a large extent, our associations or friends determine how our lives turn out. Parents and guardians can do well paying close attention to that. We should encourage our children to discuss their friends with us and even bring them home, where possible. That way we have the opportunity to observe red signals.
As parents and guardians, we should do all we can to encourage our children and wards to express themselves freely and build self-confidence early enough. It is one good way to overcome peer pressure. Most people lose it once they get mixed up with bad company. As human beings, we always want acceptance and, since the easiest way to get acceptance is to join the bandwagon, children easily do so without knowing or thinking about the consequences of their actions.
I have said this in my earlier writings on this issue, and I want to say it again in this concluding piece: no matter how much money we spend in educating our children, drugs of addiction can make nonsense of it all. If it doesn’t destroy them, it is bad enough for them to have to contend with it. That is, even if they get to finish their university education. Most people, once exposed to the misuse of drugs early in life, it becomes a tall order for them to even complete their secondary school education.
My own father might not have been a perfect example for me to follow, in that regards, but he was courageous and kind enough to warn me ahead of time. I remember how his guilt-laden words came out. I could feel their warmth, I could see their desperation, but most importantly, I could see their self-less love.
May be we, as parents or guardians, are not perfect examples for our children, but we can still steer them in the right direction, if we can be honest and courageous enough to do so.
Parents and guardians have the sole responsibility of ridding the society of the menace of drug addiction. Governments have a lot on their hands and each government has different priorities. But it is also parents and guardians that make up government institutions. So, if we all can care enough to do the right thing, we would have succeeded in dealing with drug addiction from the roots.
Byanyiko is a screenwriter, song writer and cinematographer. He writes this concluding series on Drug Abuse from Abuja.
