Take half of what you're offered
Sam de Brito
All Men Are Liars
Posted November 27, 2008 12:21 AM
It remains to be seen how successful the Rudd Government's $20 million anti-binge drinking television advertising campaign will be and while I wish it every success, I dunno how it's gonna compete against the hundreds of millions spent to push piss as the essence of the Aussie way of life.
You can't turn on the TV over summer (or winter) without seeing boofy blokes from every sporting code blowing the froth off the sponsor's finest and giving the camera a wink, just in case you hadn't worked it out: getting drunk rules.
I daresay that's the terrible hypocrisy that leaps out at most teenagers, who more than anything want to be adults: the entire friggin' world glorifies sucking piss - sportsmen, politicians, celebrities and mum and dad are constantly falling foul of over-indulgence - yet nascent teen drinkers are expected to exercise control on the drink.
I'm not sure what the answer is, but I know I'd tell my kids to have a water every second drink, switch to light beer if you're getting stupid, stay away from shots and don't get in cars with anyone once you or they have started boozing ...
Kids are going to drink, a lot of them are going to take drugs as well, and no amount of scare tactics is going to change that because young people do things to scare themselves, to scare their mates, to discover their limits.
A few months ago I was chatting with a doctor who's run some of Sydney's busiest hospital emergency rooms, dealing with overdoses of all descriptions.
"The thing I tell my nephews and nieces is 'take half of what you're offered,'" he said.
I'm sure mums and dads aren't too excited about the assumption their children will take drugs, but advice like this operates from a real-world understanding.
"I've seen so many people come through hospitals who wouldn't be there if they're followed that simple maxim," he said.
This is not to say kids have to take anything that's pushed at them - Christ, I'd hope they'd have the fortitude and character I lacked at their age to say 'no' - but if they are going to do it, 'take half of what you're offered' is a pretty sound rule of thumb.
I'd add a few others to the advice I give my children, some of which I'm robbing from my book No Tattoos Before You're Thirty (now in it's eighth reprint!)
Don't do drugs with strangers
If there's a chance you're gonna lose control, you want to be among friends, not some lurking date-rapey Casanova you just met on the dance floor. Friends will throw you into a cab and stay with you until the refrigerator stops speaking Urdu.
Never inject anything
It's so beyond crazy. You're breaking the sacred seal protecting you against the world - your skin.
Don't share bank notes snorting coke
The blood vessels in your nose can rupture doing any drug nasally. That $20 note may be buying you a lifelong case of Hepatitis or worse.
Don't smoke hydro
Hydroponic marijuana is chock full of fertilisers and pesticides. If you're going to have the odd joint, stick with naturally grown weed - and stop when the voices start.
Take drugs later in life
This is a little tougher, because kids will be kids, but research shows about the worst thing you can do to a developing brain is smash it with drugs and booze. I'd encourage my kids to stay away from the Persians until at least 18.
Don't get in cars with people who've done drugs
So many teenagers understand the whole drink and driving thing, yet lose that common sense when it comes to friends who are stoned, on pingers or pumping the pipe and want to drive. My kids are getting a couple of Cabcharge e-tickets to take out with them for such occasions.
So that's a short and none-too-exhaustive list of drug and booze advice I'd give to youngsters. I'd love to hear yours.
All Men Are Liars
Sam de Brito
All Men Are Liars
Posted November 27, 2008 12:21 AM
It remains to be seen how successful the Rudd Government's $20 million anti-binge drinking television advertising campaign will be and while I wish it every success, I dunno how it's gonna compete against the hundreds of millions spent to push piss as the essence of the Aussie way of life.
You can't turn on the TV over summer (or winter) without seeing boofy blokes from every sporting code blowing the froth off the sponsor's finest and giving the camera a wink, just in case you hadn't worked it out: getting drunk rules.
I daresay that's the terrible hypocrisy that leaps out at most teenagers, who more than anything want to be adults: the entire friggin' world glorifies sucking piss - sportsmen, politicians, celebrities and mum and dad are constantly falling foul of over-indulgence - yet nascent teen drinkers are expected to exercise control on the drink.
I'm not sure what the answer is, but I know I'd tell my kids to have a water every second drink, switch to light beer if you're getting stupid, stay away from shots and don't get in cars with anyone once you or they have started boozing ...
Kids are going to drink, a lot of them are going to take drugs as well, and no amount of scare tactics is going to change that because young people do things to scare themselves, to scare their mates, to discover their limits.
A few months ago I was chatting with a doctor who's run some of Sydney's busiest hospital emergency rooms, dealing with overdoses of all descriptions.
"The thing I tell my nephews and nieces is 'take half of what you're offered,'" he said.
I'm sure mums and dads aren't too excited about the assumption their children will take drugs, but advice like this operates from a real-world understanding.
"I've seen so many people come through hospitals who wouldn't be there if they're followed that simple maxim," he said.
This is not to say kids have to take anything that's pushed at them - Christ, I'd hope they'd have the fortitude and character I lacked at their age to say 'no' - but if they are going to do it, 'take half of what you're offered' is a pretty sound rule of thumb.
I'd add a few others to the advice I give my children, some of which I'm robbing from my book No Tattoos Before You're Thirty (now in it's eighth reprint!)
Don't do drugs with strangers
If there's a chance you're gonna lose control, you want to be among friends, not some lurking date-rapey Casanova you just met on the dance floor. Friends will throw you into a cab and stay with you until the refrigerator stops speaking Urdu.
Never inject anything
It's so beyond crazy. You're breaking the sacred seal protecting you against the world - your skin.
Don't share bank notes snorting coke
The blood vessels in your nose can rupture doing any drug nasally. That $20 note may be buying you a lifelong case of Hepatitis or worse.
Don't smoke hydro
Hydroponic marijuana is chock full of fertilisers and pesticides. If you're going to have the odd joint, stick with naturally grown weed - and stop when the voices start.
Take drugs later in life
This is a little tougher, because kids will be kids, but research shows about the worst thing you can do to a developing brain is smash it with drugs and booze. I'd encourage my kids to stay away from the Persians until at least 18.
Don't get in cars with people who've done drugs
So many teenagers understand the whole drink and driving thing, yet lose that common sense when it comes to friends who are stoned, on pingers or pumping the pipe and want to drive. My kids are getting a couple of Cabcharge e-tickets to take out with them for such occasions.
So that's a short and none-too-exhaustive list of drug and booze advice I'd give to youngsters. I'd love to hear yours.
All Men Are Liars
I've posted before about Sam's blog and the regular references to his own drug use. What do people think about the harm minimisation advice being offered in this piece?
Even though this article appeared last Thursday, it's still a good place to share comments on safer drug use to a mainstream audience. Check out the comments section for this blog piece.
![:\](https://bluelight.org/xf/BL_Images/Orig_Emoji/wrygrin.gif "wry grin :\")
