Mousebudda - no one here advocates that people take drugs. At least none I can recall recently. I was talking about evangelism with regard to sobriety and asking why one would do so. I also find that there are many who evangelize pot as well. I suppose it could be said that if one supports legalization they might be advocates for use as well but that could be argued either way.
I am NOT ashamed of my drug use and in many ways I feel I am a better person for having done so contrary to you. But if you grow weed then aren't you supporting the notion that weed should be smoked? Aren't you by way of spending time and resources advocating the use of that drug?
You have the right to say as you wish - in a public forum, however this forum is owned and thus you have only the right to say what the mods allow you to say but seeing as how they have not acted, then say what you wish.
Now, honestly, do you actually believe that an unitiated teen who happens by this way will be swayed by your statements that no drug should be taken? In that light, the best possible alternative is to expose the truth and engage in as much harm reduction as possible by USING the truth.
Yours is a portion of the truth.
When my daughter got involved with the DARE program she came home indoctrinated with "all drugs are bad, all drug users are losers and tobacco smokers are all doomed"
What message was imparted to my poor 11 year old? That her father is a loser and her mother will shortly die a horrible death. She took the DARE message to heart and was fearful to tears that her parents were going to die and leave her alone. (I and my wife confronted the teachers and the DARE representative rather sternly).
but I told her that DARE was not telling her the full truth, I asked her if bendryl helped her breath and if aspirin helped her head ache less. Then I told her that it was obvious that all drugs were not bad.
Some years later she asked me if, in fact that DARE was wrong, if she should smoke pot. After all, if drugs were good, what is the problem? I told her that DARE was not alltogether wrong but they were communicating the right message in the wrong way. She was puzzled for a bit but asked me again about pot. I said that smoking pot was for fully functioning adults and it was for them to decide. I asked her to call me (cell phones for kids isn't a bad idea) if she were offered pot and we would discuss it.
When she was 18 she called and I said I didn't think it adviseable - she listened, when she was 21 I said she was an adult and to make up her own mind.
She now smokes on very rare occasions. Now this is evidence that the TRUTH is empowering and as best most here can manage, they post the truth about drugs - perhaps that truth will save a life or two. Telling someone not to use drugs, without regard to circumstance or reason is something that simply will not work.
I got into a large argument recently here on the value of advice. This is no reflection on you at all and I hope you don't take offense but advice from someone who has failed is only half the story. It is akin to a sky diver who's chute didn't open but somehow survived. "don't anyone ever under any circumstance go up in a plane and jump out". Now how valuable is that advice? We need to also get advice from someone who has succeeded. "sky diving is a wonderful sport, you are exhilerrated and free, you can feel as though you are flying and it can be very rewarding - BUT, if you don't check your own gear, if you don't follow the instructions, if you don't keep your head about you - you will die"
Isn't that a wiser approach?
