{"id":396,"date":"2021-01-20T22:29:15","date_gmt":"2021-01-20T22:29:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/allred10.com\/?p=396"},"modified":"2025-11-24T14:22:03","modified_gmt":"2025-11-24T14:22:03","slug":"drugs-alcohol","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/allred10.com\/?p=396","title":{"rendered":"Drugs\u00a0& Alcohol\u00a0– Consider the Cost\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

Parents should fear drugs as much as any evil in this world.\u00a0 Kids can recover from many mistakes but addiction is one of the most destructive and most difficult to escape.\u00a0 We all have seen what drugs have done to our friends.\u00a0 Drug use is not a victimless crime.\u00a0 We should never approve of the use of any recreational drug.\u00a0 The cost to society and to the lives of our loved ones is just too great.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

We live in a crazy world where otherwise intelligent people condone the use of recreational drugs for \u201cmedicinal purposes.\u201d\u00a0 In their attempt to be compassionate, they overlook the danger of the devastating, unintended consequences.\u00a0 Some scoff at the notion of\u00a0 a \u201cgateway drug.\u201d\u00a0 Consider this \u2013 If it is OK to use one chemical to escape reality, how big of a step is it to move to another drug that is even better at escaping?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Liquor serves no purpose in the life of a minor.\u00a0 It never benefited anyone other than to create a chemical \u201chigh\u201d that reduces inhibitions and creates a separation from reality.\u00a0 \u00a0On the other hand, it has destroyed thousands \u2013 maybe even millions if you consider the ripple effect.\u00a0 Yet, it seems to be the common element in almost all social gatherings.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The costs of alcohol, and now marijuana, include the following:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Impaired driving deaths<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n
  2. Automobile accidents<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n
  3. Unwanted pregnancy<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n
  4. Life destroying alcoholism<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n
  5. Divorce<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n
  6. Child and spousal abuse<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n
  7. Loss of a job<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n
  8. Loss of the trust of ones colleagues<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n
  9. Saying things that should never have been said<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n
  10. Wasted time, wasted money and wasted lives<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    At times, our high school kids were invited to parties where alcohol was being served.\u00a0 The kids would say, \u201cIt is a party where my friends will be, but I don\u2019t drink.\u201d\u00a0 Sometimes they would add, \u201cEveryone wants me to be the designated driver, since I don\u2019t drink.\u00a0 You don\u2019t want them driving drunk and getting killed, do you?\u201d\u00a0 I appreciate effective negotiating skills, but there is more at issue than having fun and protecting friends.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

    These should be self-evident facts:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n