TED Talk Tuesday~ I Think I Might Have Had Heroine, Actually

Wow. This guy shares some rather unexpected observations.

While I agree that there are certain demographics of youth for whom environment and nurture could have made all the difference in the world, there are numerous adolescents whose parents were very attentive and nurturing. There are teens everywhere in developed countries who grow up with every possible leg up, as well with parents who took the time to say, "We love you and you're not alone."

I've been puzzling over this for a long time. What is it REALLY that causes a person to decide to take a peek into that door leading to drug use? I mean, I know people from ALL walks of life who have gone through that door.

Want to know what kept me from stepping through?

In my high school driver's ed class, they brought in a speaker once. He was dressed in a shirt, tie, and slacks. He told us that he used to be a successful CEO of some kind. This was back in the 80s, and they would have "business" parties. It was at one of these parties where he was first offered cocaine and decided he would try it. Just once. What was the harm in doing it one time? Obviously, he became addicted. He was now speaking to a driver's ed class full of teenagers.

When I saw that a smart, successful person could decide to try cocaine just once and end up losing everything- his career, his wife and kids, everything- and end up in prison, I knew it would be stupid of me to think it couldn't happen to me. That man's choice and consequence scared me.

I think this TED Talk lays out some very worthy suggestions for people who work with addicts, or who are exploring how to loosen the grip that drug abuse and drug crime has on the human family. Researching the references he cites would probably be very educating, as well.

Anyway, this is a great talk. It's just 14 minutes and 42 seconds. Watch it in the morning while you eat your Special K with banana slices. He does mention drinking and drugs, so you know, unless you're ready for your little kids to ask those kinds of questions, you may not want them to hear it.




Did you ask how I had heroine? I went sledding once up on Big Bear mountain. Got knocked unconscious. Woke up in a CAT scan machine. Spent the next 24 hours with morphine in my veins.