The Today Show, produced by NBC, has presented morning news and talk since 1952. Each morning between five and six million viewers watch, making Today the highest rated American breakfast news program. Today held the number one position for 14 years. This day, we will look and see a feature which has informed many in the USA. Meredith Viera interviewed actor Kirk Cameron and Dr. Drew. This segment stayed on my mind as I drove to work and again as I ran errands in the afternoon. I was bearing the burden of a family as they buried a talented son. After 32 years of teaching teens, I am passionate about youth finding ways to live chemical free. Watch to see why this feature kept me thinking hours after it aired.
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/35888659#35888659
Here is a young Kirk Franklin on TV in Growing Pains.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=np7_YVd7Ygw
Now for your comments. What can be done to keep people free from drug addiction in the 21st century? Why do some child stars suffer addiction, and others do not? Do Kirk Cameron and the doctor speak sensibly, or do you disagree? Do you find hope or despair in this report?
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Drug abuse by teenagers is not a recent problem. Actually it has been going on for a long time but only given a bigger concern now because it has affected famous people. Drug abuse does not only affect a certain type of group, but all. New drugs has been discovered along with time and its power has increased tremendously. With the invention of modern devices such as internet and cell phones drugs are much more accessible to everyone. Television and radio comercials about prescripion drugs has been a big influence to thoses young people who try to relate their lives to their parents.
ReplyDeleteSome child stars got hooked on drugs not because of pressure that they had for beeing well known but because the environment in which they are exposed. It has been proved that genes are passed around on families, some of them good and some bad. It is just like genetic problems like high blood pressure and cancer. Bad influence is one of the biggest help on thoses famous children because as you know they are trying to do their best to impress everybody.
Kirk Cameron was very sensible when he spoke about those who died because of drug abuse but not the doctor.
As we all know a parent's job is to prepare their kids to the world but of course it is not that easy because so many facts contribute to a young person to became an addict. I believe that the personality is the biggest fact. Be patient, understanding, helpfull, leaving aside any bias, but be firm. There is always hope for those who's lives need hope.
first, i feel really sorry for that guy. Actually i had classmate who has side-effect from medicine when i was in high school. he was very healthy guy. It was so bad. After that i try to don`t take medicine when i have illness. i know medicine is very nice stuff and it helps people alot. However, doctors need to care of amount of drugs. it really needs to.
ReplyDeleteThere are many ways to keep people from drugs in these times, but at the same time drug dealers look for different strategies to inundate countries with illegal substances. If governments around the world don’t develop real politics against drugs and theses kinds of irregular groups, it will be very difficult to avoid that people have access to these substances. However, we can fight against them using good education in public schools, immense campaign on radio and TV about consequences for drug abuse, and the most important: teaching good values at home!
ReplyDeleteYes, what I am trying to say is mom and dad at home, have to talk with every member of the family about drugs, sex, alcohol, tobacco and many other things that can affect child development. So, they have to be smart enough to know when talk about it and the best way to do it. Although, talking about this at an earlier age could produce the opposite effect, and can give them reasons to find out for themselves about drugs.
Corey’s case is particular because he was addicted since he was a child. I think he had a poor education combined with money and fame which drove him to be an addict. So, in my opinion if people start early to immerse in drugs, probably when becoming an adult, they will continue and look for stronger ones.
So, I completely agree with Kirk Cameron, who said that if you are a young actor you might need strong foundations given by your parents, and they should be able to send you to the right direction based on God and good values.
This article about drug is really important because is a problem that is faced for a long time. I think that today is big concern because it is being affected by famous people; however a lot of people start taking it just to play with friends, and enjoy the moment and not because they have serious problems. It is a big problem around the world; almost all teenagers already faced a problem with drugs. Famous people are more accessible a drugs because they have easy money to buy it. Common people start to be more accessible a drugs sometimes influenced by friends. Personality and family support is the most important thing that can help someone who is affected by this problem. Like Kirk Cameron said he does not start at this world because his family gave him the support that he need. Sometimes the parents do not realize that they have this kind of problem at home, just when thinks become worse. It can be late. Talking with the child is really important, spend some time with them, give they attention, it will be helpful.
ReplyDeleteDrug is a think that once you start is not easy to give up. A lot of them that start using drugs think that they have the control but the thing is that they did not realize that is the drug that controls them.
For me is really difficult to talk about it, is polemic and also a theme. How can famous people who have everything, do not think about money, just about a lot of opportunities that they have and just give up because of the problem with drugs.
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ReplyDeleteI think that drug is a think that once you start is not easy to stop. It is dagerous more smoking.
ReplyDeleteDrug abuse does not only affect a certain type of group, but all people. If we start drug one time, it seems to go to the hell.
Especially teenagers have more ploblem about drug. Drug will the control teenagers to easy. but the problem is that they did not realize.
I saw sthe picture about people who use drug. It was bad and sad. Why they used drug?...
I think that youg people have many problem as family, sex, alcohol, tobacco and many other things. But the drug problem is most bad thing. that can affect child development. So We have to solve drug problem.
Ivana, is the author of this post. I watched “Growing Pains” in my country where it was dubbed into the Serbian language. I slightly remember these actors but I can say that I liked it a lot. At that time Corey Haim was very popular. In 2010 I personally found out that this celebrity was an addict who died of an overdose of prescription drugs. Some children suffer addiction because they have a lot of money, fame and free time. But the question is why do they spend all this in destroying themselves rather than improving their lives. I do not think that we can find guilt in fame or a poor childhood. My personal opinion is that you are responsible for your own actions in your life. One can go in a wrong direction but if somebody is trying to show him a way back they should accept the help. Why I think that some children suffer addiction and some not is because they choose to do that. There are other ways to spend your time, money and fame than killing yourself and nobody can tell me differently because I was a child once. In Serbia , my country, there is a proverb saying “ Do not drink to forget; drink to remember.” So if you follow this advice you can see that there is no reason to abuse yourself with drugs it doesn’t take you forward it brings you backwards .Who in this world wants to go back?
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