You Don't Know The Dangers of Alcohol and Smoke Until...

As a kid you think it's cool to smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, and may be even do drugs, after all everyone else is trying it, why not me too?

You see adults smoking, drinking alcohol and it seems the natural thing to do when you grow up, right? It may even be the way to be part of the "cool crowd" the rebels, and who doesn't want to rebel?  That is part of growing up.

The trouble is none of us are taught how dangerous smoking anything, drinking any toxins, alcohol and sugar drinks included damage our developing brains and bodies.

Today scientist and psychologists are speaking out, especially since weed is being considered for legalization everywhere in the USA. Doctors are trying to let us know... legal marijuana in the hands of developing brains (young people) can cause more damage than we knew.  We know now that the human brain is developing into the mid twenties and in this delicate time, the body needs to be kept off all toxins. Why?  Because these toxins can set you up for depression, anxiety, and even mental illness later in life.

No one knows the sensitivity of each person and the bad effects of this, it is so individual.

What? 

So all these years when I thought from observation it was not a good idea to drink socially when young, smoke cigarettes when young, do dope, or marijuana, (by the way I'm no saint,) because of the temporary high you get, I was not aware how much damage this does to our brain long term.

So many of us start this behavior as teens, because we want to be accepted, or we are angry or hurt from our home life and want an escape, even if it is only mentally for a while, we introduce deadly toxins into our body.

The good news is now we know!  We can stop as adults drinking alcohol in our homes while raising children so they will not reach for the bottle or that weed when they are stressed after a day's work. We can be the example.

We can teach exercise, clean eating, healthy family activities together, and meditation that helps everyone improve with age.

You can't teach what you do not know and if your parents drank alcohol and smoked, you suffered  damage from second hand smoke, that does not need to be perpetrated on your children.  If a parent was an alcoholic you suffered emotional damage for sure. When children of alcoholics, that don't drink alcohol, don't get therapy to overcome this damage, they become the same emotionally damaging parents, called, "dry drunks."

It's no longer a matter or good or bad, right or wrong, it's a matter of life long mental health and wellness for you and your children.

Kind of like when I found out you can't give "honey" to a toddler. Scary what we don't know that can kill us or a loved one. Now we know... so we do better. Don't know about the dangers of honey given to an infant? Goggle it!

Thankful to finally know there are scientific reasons not to smoke anything or drink alcohol, introduce NO TOXINS in to the body, especially in the beginning of life through the twenties. As parents we need to set the example and not do either.

Will legalizing marijuana hurt our families, our nation more? Time will tell. At least now we know better.