I've spent a few days telling you about National Lifestyle Centers and the wholesale part of the business. Now I want to spend a few days on some "health" stuff. You know that's what I'm passionate about anyway.
My amazing fact for you today: Did you know that deaths by overdose on painkillers now surpass deaths by overdose on cocaine & herion combined? (reference)
That's some scary stuff right there.
When I was little, I learned about how "drugs" were bad for you and they kill ..... bla, bla. .... You got the same speeches. You did drug week at school and learned about thugs who sell drugs and kids who try drugs at parties. Tell me this sounds familiar.
If not, maybe this looks familiar:
Wouldn't you love it if that was all you had to teach your kids now?
However, it's not. Now I have to educate my kids on the dangers of overdosing on popular painkillers like hydrocodone and morphine. (They're called opioids.)
With cocaine and heroin, you can simply tell your kids never to try them. However, there is a good chance both of my children will need hydrocodone and/or morphine at some point in their lives. I have.
I have a dear friend who is addicted to hydrocodone right now. She takes about four pills a day to get through her day and I will tell you that she is one of the most mellow people I know. If you're stressed, a day with her will do you some good because nothing can get her upset. However, I can't help but think how many other young, suburbia moms out there are addicted to it and need it just to get through their days.
Think these problems don't exist in the "real world?"
One of my other dear friends just shared with me recently that she was drinking all day everyday just two years ago after a life crisis in their family. I had NO idea.
We can choose to bury our heads in the sand or we can wake up and realize that this stuff is real. Addictions are real. Good people fall prey to them when they start taking a seemingly harmless medicine after an injury (or after childbirth), begin using them to fall asleep at night during a stressful season of life, turn to the numbing effects when a life crisis hits thinking it'll only last a few weeks ... and countless other reasons.
Let's be aware.
Let's be aware that:
a) addictions can happen to the best of us. And let's watch for them in ourselves, our families, and our friends.
b) people that are addicted don't see clearly in the beginning. You cannot convince someone with your words (most of the time) that they are addicted.
c) our sons and daughters are being tempted with this stuff from about the age of twelve on up depending on their social circles, spheres of influence, etc... Sit down with your kid and talk about it. Don't make it a forbidden subject.
It's not enough to just say no. It's not enough to just forbid it. We've got to understand that some of the more popular drugs today are just as addicting and just as deadly when overdosed on as the "bad drugs" we learned about when we were little. And then we've got to educate those we love.
And - if you happen to get on a "no kick" - here's some others I'd throw in there as well. (wink, wink) (Some might call this "not leaving well enough alone" or maybe "nagging" or even "over the top." I've been accused of all those things before.) (grin)
No comments:
Post a Comment