Fear can be a powerful tool
By Staff
Melissa Cason, FCT Writer
Thursday night I had the privilege of attending the Call to Action meeting hosted by Community Education.
The event focused on underage drinking and ideas were discussed at length on how to curb underage drinking.
Research shows that teens who smoke cigarettes and consume alcohol are more likely to try other drugs.
It is fairly common knowledge that sometimes all it takes is to try a drug one time to get hooked.
Even if they don't get addicted the first time, it doesn't mean their experimentation will end with that one time.
Actually, teens are more likely to try the drug again if they don't get caught or if they survive the experience, and of course using drugs like marijuana are reported to lead to the harder drugs like acid, speed, cocaine, crack and meth.
I can honestly say that I never tried an illegal drug, but that doesn't mean that I was not tempted to try them.
To be honest, I was afraid to try drugs. I was afraid of getting caught, and more importantly I was afraid of erasing my ever-so-needed brain cells.
While others did not feel the same way as I did, I was respected for my honesty and for decision to not use drugs.
Drinking, however, was another story. I admit that I consumed alcohol before turning 21, but I was over the age of 18.
In my defense, I lived only an hour away from Louisiana where the drinking age was 18, and because of this, alcohol was easily obtained legally.
I realize that 21 is the legal age everywhere and so let me explain.
On March 8, 1996, the Louisiana Supreme Court held that the law that made 21 the legal drinking age was unconstitutional.
This decision overturned the legislature's 1986 compliancewith the federal mandate making 21 the legal age.
And from 1986 to 1995, Louisiana employed a deterrence strategy that only targeted underage youth who purchased or consumed alcohol.
Alcohol retailers were not liable under Louisiana law for underage sales.
So, if you were brave and fairly close to home, you might just get away with it.
While there was a shoving match at the Capitol, people like me could slip between the cracks, buy their booze and head back to Arkansas.
The problem with that was one time turned into another, and then another and then another.
I can attest that consuming alcohol made trying illegal drugs more attractive, but I was one of the lucky ones. When drugs were offered to me, I just said no.
Not because I had a stand to make or a message to send but because I was afraid.
So maybe the answer is to make our kids afraid – educate them so much about the dangers of alcohol and drugs that they are just simply afraid to try them.
Fear can be a bad thing, but for me it was the one thing that saved me.
