So, Curt, in your household, what are the substances that you're most worried about when it comes to your kids as a parent? Great question.
Curt:
I definitely think this might surprise people having been an editor of over, I think, 6,000 cannabis-based articles in the last eight years, having very familiar with that subject as well as having teen boys that are facing the pressure to use different types of vape pens and substances. But I think alcohol.
Alcohol is the most insidious drug. It's pure poison. There is no study in the world that tells you alcohol has beneficial qualities. Even that one they came out with the Mediterranean, that glass of wine. No, they ate fish seven days a week and they climbed cliffs and mountains walking around. That was why they're so healthy. And the reason alcohol, without getting into biochemistry and what happens with each drug, is that it COMES IN THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR WITH A BLESSING.
And that's the scariest part with role modeling. Generally parents have said, do not smoke weed, do not do cocaine. And you know, kids did not generally see their parents do this. Now with cannabis legalization, pushing about eight years now, there's a little bit of change in that attitude. But with alcohol, it comes in through the front door like a wolf in jeep's clothing. They see, kids see people they love and trust, their parents. their role models, their uncles, their older brothers and sisters using it and think it must be okay. The talks I've had with teen boys, not only my own is they were actually shocked that alcohol was bad. They just thought it was just like, you know, it's just like weed. It's got good and bad. But the neglect of education on alcohol because they see their parents drinking at night and that could be mommy juice of a glass of wine.
That could be dad having a martini or cracking open a couple beers after work. They really do believe it's okay. There's nothing wrong with it. And obviously all the medical studies will tell you it's a depressant and it goes through the blood brain barrier. It just basically destroys every part of your body, et cetera. It's how it comes in. Well, I'm not going to debate though, like the biochemistry and what goes through the brain and what it does to the liver. It's that alcohol comes in right in front of the kids. It gets the blessing without saying it from adults who are drinking it in front of them, adults they rely on for guidance and their role modeling. And it's such an insidious drug and it gets you hooked early. It's legal at 21, super accessible So I wouldn't say something like fentanyl right now, which could kill you in one dose, because it's really hard for a kid to get that. You have to go look for it at certain places. This is not a weed and booze type person getting it for you. You're gonna find fentanyl necessarily in your home.
Right, or in like the bathroom at your school where you will find cannabis, you will find cigarettes, you will be able to get alcohol. But because we've always said, no, don't smoke weed, don't do cocaine, don't do fentanyl, don't take a molly or don't take a pill where you don't know where it's from, right? If you're at like a rave, but alcohol gets the blessing. It comes in with a trusted and person who they love showing them by role modeling that it's okay. I'm not talking about giving your kids alcohol, watching you drink alcohol.
Bring it in the front door, no pun intended, and saying this is okay. This is how we handle stress. This is how I numb pain. So guess what you've just created? A generational pattern that your parents did before you and before that saying alcohol is okay. It's an acceptable way to numb that pain or celebrate that victory in life. What do we see the Celtics do, right? Champagne all around the locker room. So that to me is the biggest threat because it comes in and it's what you did. It's what your loved ones show you, your role model, your Superman and your superwoman, your mom and dad, drink it in front of you and say, this is how we handle numbing something or enjoyment. And that to me is dangerous. I like that you called it a wolf in sheep's clothing. Alcohol is a wolf in sheep's clothing makes a lot of sense to me. It's actually the opposite. It's weird when people don't drink. As somebody who hasn't had a drink in over three and a half years, I know that there are many times where people
Preeti:
I wonder why or question it. There's also equally as many times where nobody even notices. It's depending on the company you keep either alcohol is a necessity for having fun or for coping, or it is something that a lot of people actually don't do. And I think that having the conversation with your kids that there are plenty of adults who do choose not to drink, who don't even have addiction or substance issues. It is actually another important conversation we should have. Absolutely. Alcohol in that sense. Like you said, it's not only can you not do it, It's socially awkward for someone over 21 to go in a restaurant or bar and order a club soda or club soda cranberry like I do. You get a look, like even your own friends, your own peers who are obviously over 21, if you reach that stage, what are you doing? Right? Like, let's get a round of beers. What do you mean you're not drinking? Come on!
So what that does is it says something that I'm not like you and I choose not to do this. So they immediately feel insecure or shamed or something's wrong. So they try to get you in a friendly way to drink with them. And there it is. There's the connection of a loved one or a trusted source, your friend. Like, what do you mean, dude just have a beer. But boom, there it is. That's why it's so insidious. It permeates society where it's okay. And if you don't do it, like you said,
you're a little weird. Like, what do you mean mean don't drink? Like, ew ew that's what's wrong? Like, this is something wrong with me if I'm drinking. And that's a tough place to put your in socially as a young person to be the one who doesn't drink. And we can't talk to young people about the people about peer pressure and drinking if we don't talk about the peer pressure involved in adult drinking as well. Yeah, and certainly you're being sober now for going on three years get that all the time. And even now I'll go in and
You talk to people who don't drink it, we all have our tricks of like, how does it all over club soda cranberries? So I enjoyed that drink, but I'll be standing at a bar or restaurant and it looks like a vodka cranberry or vodka club soda, whatever it is. So everybody who doesn't drink even puts on the facade a little bit to blend in. You know, we don't stay in there with our waters or our cokes generally or our diet cokes because that means you're not drinking. What's up? Like, don't you want a glass of wine like everybody else? So even we kind of fake it a little to make it look like we're holding a drink.
That's true. Other well-meaning adults, often well -meaning adults who try to force me to drink, I often tell them that I have an allergy and that ends the conversation. I found this is especially helpful when I go on vacation to the Caribbean, to resorts where the staff's job is to get the guests good and drunk. And that is what being on vacation and having a good time looks like. That is not what it looks like for me. And it's not what it looks like for a lot of other adults, whether or not they have addiction. And you even talked before about it, that you've been waiter-shamed and waitress-shamed into drinking. Like a person who's taking your order, if you're an adult and you order a Coke or a club soda or just water, you can talk about it. You get shamed by the waiter. Like, what's wrong with you? Come on, have one. Like, wow, look at the pressure. Take a step back. Take the emotion out of it.
Look at the societal not only acceptance of alcohol, but the never ending push, the pulse to get you to drink from waiters to friends. And they're not mean people. You know, they're not trying to hook you on cocaine, but it's like you're different. Everyone, 99% of people in here are drinking. You're the one not. And it's just that constant pulse pushing on you of why try one. It's okay. Right. So why is one not okay?
I know why it's not okay for me. Why is it not okay for you? I've never enjoyed drinking. I don't want to be up here on a soapbox and I have a religious or a health and I'm Mr. Health Guy. It's just, it's been something that I've tried. I've had drinks before. I will probably have drinks at some point in my future again. I'm not sworn off them. It just never really was an appeal for me. There is alcoholism in my family. There's some generational skipping, so I'm aware of it. I've talked to my teen boys about it.
But no, I'm not up here on a religious or health nut kind of soap box telling you, you know, don't do this. It's like, no, it's a choice. It's a personal choice. As you get older, as everyone who has who has has their whole life or had drinks, the hangovers are brutal. The dehydration gets worse. When you're a 20 year old in college, go into a keg party and you a Gatorade and have some home fries and a big breakfast. You're fine the next day. That's not the case over 40 or 50. It is a three day battle to get back to normalcy.
I think that's why you do see older people, at least in some areas, don't drink as much. They can't eat as much red meat, can't process it. And just like, I had to give up drinking. It's killing me. Literally, they'll tell you, it was killing me. Yeah, it was. It actually is killing you, every sip. So the body does respond. And there's that famous meme or movie where he says, you know why alcohol tastes bad the first time you try it? Because your body's rejecting it. It's poison. Saying it's acquired taste, you get used to it.
Preeti Davidson:
Well, that's kind of strange. What are the things in life that you have to do where you have to force your body to get used to taste this weird, acidic-y taste? Right. Well, we put a lot of cream and sugar in our coffee to make it palatable. Sugar addiction. We can go down the sugar addiction road too. Sugar could be often the teen biggest drug I worry about, but that's a different conversation. As far as threats to my teens based on social pressure, generally when they're at someone's house or the brother's in charge or the parents are out,
They're not getting tempted to eat Oreo cookies. They're out. They're getting tempted to try, let's do shots. Let's do ping pong games, drinking games, or let's get high. And especially with the access to cannabis now, that's in the discussion too about teens. That's right. And then in terms of brain development, while the brain is developing, introducing drugs that actually interrupt and disrupt those systems is very detrimental. It's another conversation for another day.
But tell me how we can find MAYA. www.maya4life.com with the number four, M-A -Y -A, the number four for life .com. Obviously you can like, share us, follow us as you're watching this video, if you find it informational. And if you'd like more information as far as yourself or your teen to go through the program, it's free. You can reach out to Preeti or myself. Just set an appointment and we're happy to talk to parents and teens about the programs we offer to build up self-esteem.
have conversations about alcohol, about peer pressure, about suicide ideation, things that are difficult that we try to help people get through to make a, you know, really a much stronger teen with a lot of self-esteem. That's right. At MAYA, we don't shy away from the tough conversations and we will help you have them with your child. Sounds good. Thanks.
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