hey guys

so here´s the deal.. I am graduating in psychology this semester and am working in this institute for poor supergifted children.. so my work there is to help them develop a broader way of thinking, also developing their ´moral´ (dont like this word but anyways) conscience and so on

So anyways, after some time struggling to have my own space and be able to lead the activities instead of just observing what the psychologist there does, I have gained their confidence and now am doing different things with them, leading activities and all.

Yesterday I had a big talk with them about food and nutrition, it was great! At some point, though, some kids started asking about alcohol (they are 11 years old), and suddenly and unexpectedly loads of stories of alcoholism with relatives and people they knew started to be mentioned. So I briefly talked about it, but I felt the demand for this talk was so great that I should do a whole activity/discussion only about alcohol and other drugs.. The psychologist thought it would be a good idea.

Now.. the thing is.. These are children from slums in Dramland.. psychedelics and so on are not a part of their reality. What is a part of their reality is alcohol, weed and cocaine. So I think this is what I gotta focus on. But my main problem, though, is that the psychologist there is quite conservative, so I dont know how to talk to them about drugs, with my ´boss´ being conservative..

I will definitely not be like ´just say no´, but then again, I cant go to the other extreme.. and there is also the fact that they are 11 years old.. do you guys have any suggestions to give to me?

Education over abstinence! I would stay away from the “stay away from drugs” speech altogether.

Discuss the reasons people DO use drugs (the ones you mentioned specifically) and some of the dangers that EACH of these drugs have.

Try and dispel myths about the drugs without sounding pro-drug, but do include real facts about how these types of drugs affect ones personality, sex drive, physical health and appearance..etc.

I'm no psych major, but I have been using a realistic approach with my daughter (10) and will also do so with my son (2 months) when it is time. I realize that you have your boss to deal with as well and he obviously does not share you view, so tread carefully, but please don't give in to the D.A.R.E approach.

Generalizing "DRUGS ARE BAD" is pretty lame...there are many, many different types of drugs, from non-psychoactive to very psychoactive and addictive. Lumping them all in one large category is doing everyone a disservice...and really seems to be propaganda. However, cocaine, tobacco, and alcohol are very damaging to the body and mind, and I have told my daughter that these drugs (yes alcohol + cigarettes are drugs, sweetie) are more harmful than many illegal drugs, and just because something is legal DOES NOT MEAN it is safe. Conversely some drugs that are illegal are quite safe to use.

Just tell 'em the fucking truth.

Some little girl at my work the other day started talking about "magical" plants and plants which cause "visions".

She's about 11-12.

I kept my mouth shut until she staight up asked me- "Can you tell me about any magical plants which cause visions?"

She thought it was like magic, in no way did she asscioate it with drugs.

So I told her the truth... I said alcohol was bad when used in excess, as well as cannabis, but that cannabis is actually safer, and it's silly that it's illegal.

I then told her about the "magical" Peyote cactus, Mushrooms and Ayahuasca and how certain people use these plants to talk to God. She was amazed... she stared wide-eyed and listened very intently.


I also told her about Salvia (and how it's becoming illegal) and that people in our society only approve of a few drugs like alcohol and tobacco. I asked her not to tell anybody that we had this converstation, she's a very inteligent little girl and I'm really glad I told her the truth.

you are right, definitely the ´stay away´, ´drugs are bad´ and ´just say no´ attitude is not gonna come from me. I will for sure present a different attitude.. If I was completely alone with them, I would talk really totally openly, but with the psychologist there, its sort of tricky.. So I have to be able to say the truth, but not so explicit about some things

I thought of asking them what they know, what they think, so I can have a base from where to begin talking..

I am planning for sure to mention about how many things are drugs, like alcohol, medicine and cigarrete.. and mentioning that there is a certain poverty in the words and that people talk about ´drugs´ but each drug is completely different from the other..

what Im a bit affraid somehow is if they ask me if I already did drugs.. because if we were alone, I would tell them yes, and give my experience, but the damn psychologist there.. Thats why coatl... I mean, on one hand I could always be completely saying everything, but then again, I think the psychologist might be shocked, and from then on start boycotting me, not letting me lead the activities anymore or something of the sort, so I think its better to find a way in between, giving a positive different attitude without being too upfront about it

(more suggestions and comments always welcome)

Tell them, that every drug has its benefit!
Tell them, that drugs can give people, what they need and what they want!
People know this! And this is the reason, why people want to take drugs!

Nicotine can calm you down. Alcohol can make you happy. Weed can make you creative and imaginatively. Cocaine can make you awake and strong. Heroin can ease your pain. Psychedelics can give you a relationship to god….and so on.

But explain them also: Every drug turns its benefit into the opposite, if it isn’t used in “the right way”!

Because of this Nicotine will make people nervous. Alcohol will make people unhappy and sad. Cocaine will make people tiered and weak. Heroin will cause great pain. And so on.

And tell them, that most people, even you, are not able to use these drugs in “the right way”, because it is easier to balance on a wire rope or on the edge of a razor blade then using drugs in “the right way”!!! And tell them, that you don’t take any drugs for this reason!

You may say, this is a lie, but the kids (and your boss) mustn’t know the entire truth…

Definitely don't martyr yourself or otherwise risk consequences to your career over it. The other side is just too powerful at the moment for it to make much of an impact. Run and live to fight another day when your efforts will be better spent. We'll get there.

I agree with Dr Paradox. Your employers get to call the shots here. You work for them. They pay you to do the job that they choose. You don't get a say. You will only get a say when your the director of the company, in your own home and in your dreams. At work your ass is theirs. It sucks but thats the truth.

Do not fucking say that.

Some drugs are mostly bad. Some are mostly good.

Alcohol, Cocaine, Heroin, Meth = Bad

Cactus, 'Shrooms, Ayahuasca, Iboga = Good

I draw the line between synthetics and organics, anybody arguing that opiate use is "good" when not using it for a short time for pain is full of shit.

I completely agree with the rest of your post tho, Gosvami.



Fuck that, nobody owns you. They don't pay you, but it's not like your digging ditchs here, your talking to kids (something very important) if they payed you to burn Jews, does that mean you should do it? Fuck no. You don't have to pay their game, you don't need to be the director your company, you are the director of your own mind!

I don't quite agree with this...Drugs are truly neither good nor bad, all of them can be abused and that is BAD for the user. Some are safer, some are healtier, and some are just very risky to use. Opium can be a very unhealthy substance to use, but for the man with pancreatic cancer in a third world country it can mean the difference between a horrible painful death and a comfortable passing....it is how they are used.

I think this is approximately correct. However, Datura is organic but certainly deserves the label "BAD" (assuming anything does). OTOH, LSD is synthetic, and just a smidgen riskier than shroomies, so I would still say "GOOD". I'm sure there are other counter examples to the synthetic/organic bad/good line.

I really can't find the natural = good, "man-made" = bad comparison a good or helpful one. Each chemical is unique, each has its purpose. Cocaine is 100% natural, 4-ACO-Mipt 100% manmade. Personally I think that 4-aco-mipt is more a much more useful chemical than cocaine. Datura is another great example! Organic does not equal safe. Synthetic does not equal dangerous.

These generalizations are part of the problem when trying to educate people about responsible use! Each drug is unique with its own set of risks and benefits.

Dont forget to tell them what happens when you get caught with drugss. This side of drug use and possession SUCKS and could possibly change your life perminantly. Saying that could steer them away from drugs until they are at the apropriate age to fully understand why one would do certain drugs like dmt or aya instead of them doing drugs just to look cool or fit in. I really wouldn't like to see a bunch of 11 year olds running around shooting up dmt or smoking weed. lol just imagining it makes me chuckle.(almost)

My dearest ratty assed compadre! Are you joking or do you really believe prohibition will help the young generation to find the right way how to live with drugs. And they live with drugs, because drugs are everywhere and pervasively in every society despite prohibition. And the kids are not stupid, they know, what happens to somebody who possess or use or deal with drugs and get caught. Did prohibition ever affect anyone’s decision to take a drug or not? I don’t think so!

If we want to educate our children, how to handle drugs, we have to ask ourselves 3 questions:

1. Why are we using drugs?
2. Why are we using drugs even then we harm ourselves, others and our society by using these drugs in a destructive way?
3. How can we use drugs in a constructive way?

Than we have found the answers to these questions, we can educate our children, how to handle drugs.
Prohibition is no answer at all!
Threaten our kids with punish is no help for our kids to find the answers to their questions they have!

Good post Gosvami.

yeah.. i think about everything of importance has been already said here.

Datura deserves a bad label because it's toxic in large quantities, so I think it's in a different class than cannabis, mushrooms, and peyote.

Anything is fine if you do it in moderation, and even beyond that there are other factors. If a man shoots up every single day just to get away for a little bit, but he pays all his bills on time, takes good care of his family, never misses work, and is very safe and would never risk OD'ing, what would be wrong with that? It would be illegal, that's the only thing wrong with it. It's all individual actions, whether a person does a drug, or lets a drug do them.

Honestly, they're kids. They'll believe whatever they want to believe. Most of us got the "drugs are bad" speech, but we figured it out on our own. I bet every one of you saying "coke is no good", has a very personal reason for making such a generalized claim. Give them the "drugs are bad" speech, it doesn't matter at all. That's something people find out on their own. Tell them to talk to their parents about it to get a better idea. You may believe drugs are ok in moderation, and they may agree or not. You're not the one living with them, no offense, but you don't really have the right to lead them in either direction. I remember talking to my dad about drugs at that age. He told me the truth, and admitted that he had tried almost every drug at one point. I didn't do many drugs before I was 18, I only smoked pot 3 times even. On the other hand, my brother who had the same speech, smoked pot daily, ended up having a coke problem and becoming a thief, started smoking crack every now and then by the time he was 15, drank a lot. Like I said, they'll believe what they want to believe.

Just found this old discussion.

I am really divided about this subject and don´t really know how to deal with it.
Some kids that are very close to me are getting to the age where this is a topic.

One of my closest friends had an uncle that smoked weed and lived with the australian
natives for years. He always told us how to use drugs and what to stay away from.
It was the best input you could have.
But at that age we just wanted to smoke some good weed and pretty much forgot everything
he told us instantly.
And of course we tried everything we could get our hands on. My friend turned into a
violent alcoholic and i turned into a criminal of the worst kind and with an addiction to
various substances.

I know that on one side it would be good to tell them the truth but i also know
that it will come down to their friends and their curiosity.
I hope i can find a way to show them what took me 20 years to realize and i hope they are
a little more intelligent then me.

But this really gives me a headache

Anyways it is amazing how many interesting things have been discussed on the Nexus.
Thank you everybody

i would like to know how this turned out for OP.

for me its important to be honest. tell them everything, good and bad, and they will find their own path.
if you are not open with them you are going to have to sit back and watch the less informed parts of society do the education, which is where the alcohol, heroin, coke, etc sneaks in, particularly for kids who are in an area where that is everywhere.

as far as convincing other adults that this is the best thing to do for them, thats a whole different fight, a much more difficult one to overcome. i think the conversation still needs to be had though, the more people speak up the more accepted it will be and we can all move forward.

Yes Pedro

That is my conclusion too. But it is still such a taboo topic for society.
But i agree. As an adult if you have the experience at least try.
Also i will always know if they do drugs.
They can´t hide it from me.

Have a gud one if your old enough