When Teens Make Wrong Choices...

Teens have a lot of free time… Indeed… But, society should show interest thereat, how children spend their free time. Too many children and adolescents spend free time outside on the streets without control, without the interest of the parents. It’s too many possible places, where teens may spend their playtime. It can be home, school, clubbable institutions and some organizations: schools clubs, centres for free time or houses for youth. Unfortunately, in the puberty some age groups arise, that have huge impact on the behaviour of teens. They want to try a lot of new things in this age, mainly things they are excluded from. “Forbidden fruit tastes the best!” They want to belong to some groups. It starts with the first cigarette, a glass of alcohol, drugs and in some cases these “blameless fun or deeds of adulthood” end in death…

There are not yet known any psychological mechanisms why smoking is attractive for a young person. It is clear why it is so difficult to stop, after you have established the habit, or rather the dependency. In fact, smoking stimulates within the brain similar to those typical of the drugs more "classic" as morphine and heroin. And give up the cigarette triggers real withdrawal symptoms: craving for tobacco, irritability, anxiety, frustration, anger, difficulty concentrating, decreased heart rate.

The drug problem is even changing and growing. Drugs that were for more years ago have given way to cocaine, ecstasy, hashish etc. Moreover, the phenomenon of drug use is increasing and involves growing number of young boys. The social system tries to the best it can to address youth problems. The best intentions are often turned into blind political camp aigns. On one hand it is clear that prohibiting the use of drugs does not solve the problem at all. Also, another example, preventing alcohol from being sold in a club would lead to see young people get to parks with plastic bags containing bottles of liquor purchased elsewhere…

"Alcohol is better than drugs", many parents say. But in fact, alcohol has all the adverse effects of a drug, especially in high doses and high vulnerability of the brain in an age, that is adolescence… There is also growing a very insidious phenomenon: the compulsive drinking on Saturday night! A dangerous and sad passion… Moreover, alcohol use is a leading factor for the three main causes of death among youth: accidental injuries (including motor vehicle crashes and drownings), suicides; and homicides. Alcohol also puts you at greater risk in sex, since you may have more than that you had planned on- an STD (sexually transmitted disease) or an unwanted pregnancy!

It’s also curiosity to blame for… Sometimes really silly, sometimes very misleading… That curiosity that makes kids ask many questions, we say so many "why", waiting for mum and dad to answer, while we remain excited and satisfied. That curiosity that teenagers can not express with words, to which the simple answer is not enough. There is need for contact, experiences, to try, everything the hard way…

written by:

Abazaj Fabio (GR) Lucinka Demanova (SK) Pietro Mangino (IT)