Parents of kids going to the University of Florida - now the number one party school in the U.S. - may breathe a little easier knowing that the rules drinking rules on the UF campus are being changed. No more kegs, drinking games and other behavior that leads to alcohol poisoning, injuries, accidents, rapes, and so on will be allowed. Punishment includes everything from wrist slapping to expulsion but, unfortunately, alcohol rehab is not included.

While it’s not a school’s responsibility to get kids into alcohol rehab, it would be an interesting turn of events. If kids were told they have to go to alcohol rehab to continue in school, it would open the door for them to stay and get their education - and would also drastically change their life. They’d no longer be alcoholics, and they’d still have a chance to accomplish their education and career goals.

Do you think college students should be ordered to alcohol or drug rehab? Florida has plenty to choose from. At the very least, parents should ensure it happens.

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I read a blog today which referred to an article about drug testing in schools. The author was against the testing because, he said, the only drug that stays in the system long enough to be detected is marijuana.  This is apparently driving school kids to other drugs. This may also be one of the reasons for the increase in prescription drug addiction and the number of people on prescription drugs going into drug rehab. Florida is nicknamed the ‘pill state.’ That gives you an idea of how serious the situation is.

Personally, I don’t think drug testing is the source of the problem. I believe the majority of schools don’t do drug testing at all - and they have the same problems.

Prescription drug addiction is largely due to the accessability, acceptability, and convenience of prescription drugs. They’re in practically every household medicine cabinet, they come from a doctor so are considered safe, and you don’t have to find a drug dealer to buy marijuana or find a place to smoke it where the smell is not going to be noticed. You just pop a pill.

If your kids are already taking drugs of one form or other - and if you don’t know, you’d better find out - there’s a good chance they’ll also get into prescription drugs. And, believe it or not, they’re more dangerous than many of the illegal drugs around. Your best bet is to get help. Drug rehab in Florida is plentiful.  In the meantime, what about drug testing? Should it be stopped? 

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Here’s another high school to add to the list of those in big enough trouble with drugs that they’re taking aggressive action. This one’s called Battle Mountain High School, and it’s in Colorado. Officials said they’re starting random drug testing at Battle Mountain High for all students involved in extra-curricular activities - that’s 75% of the student body. They hope the testing will keep people from using drugs, and that those who need help will get into drug rehab.

Yesterday I wrote about a high school in Fallbrook, CA, near San Diego, that’s going to start using drug-sniffing dogs to ferret out drugs.

As the prescription drug addiction and abuse epidemic continues to rage out of control, I think we can expect to see more and more of this kind of intervention in schools. Thank God.

It can be hard to control kids who are abusing drugs, but it’s a lot easier than trying to control adults in the same situation. Also, if you can stop kids from taking them there’s far less chance they’ll end up addicted to drugs as they get older.

Although there are always underlying reasons for addiction - and these are addressed in a good drug rehab program - a lot of those situations don’t have to be serious. Your kid doesn’t have to be totally messed up to get involved in drugs. They might just have a little trouble about wanting to look cool or go along with what other kids are doing. The problem is that the drugs themselves are so dangerous that the kids get easily hooked on the drugs and then the addiction has a whole life of its own. Taking drugs is no longer dependent on what others are doing.

Educating kids about the dangers of drugs helps them resist those temptations - kids are 50% less likely to get involved in drugs if they’ve been educated on the subject by their parents - and getting kids into a good drug rehab program early in the game if they do have a problem should successfully address what they’re running into and how they can handle it in the future.

Parents all over the U.S. have lost their kids to drugs. Thousands have died, and many thousands more are living in a different world - one that doesn’t include parents. Quite a disappointment when you’ve had a child and raised them. Not what you had imagined as they grow up and move into adulthood.

Get your kids the help they need through a drug rehab program. Do whatever you have to. If you have any doubts about whether or not it’s the right thing to do, just consider the alternatives - death, estrangement, a ruined life, or drug rehab? 

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Last week we read about undercover cops sniffing out drug dealers at San Diego State University, this week it’s drug-sniffing dogs on patrol just a few miles north at Fallbrook High School, in Fallbrook, CA.  It looks like the search and destroy mission for drugs on campus is getting serious - and not a moment too soon: The drugs in schools situation has been serious for a long time and more and more kids are in need of drug rehab.

In fact, there are even Juvenile Drug Courts to deal with kids under 17 who already have drug problems and are already involved in the criminal activity that often accompanies drug addiction and abuse. Juvenile Drug Court will help get younger kids into drug rehab so they have a chance of not being addicts as they move into adulthood.

Sometimes you really just have to take a very hard line. Undercover cops and drug-sniffing dogs may seem extreme - but drug abuse in schools isn’t something to be taken lightly. Most parents don’t realize how serious the situation is: Kids have usually been taking drugs anywhere from six months to two years before their parents even find out about it. The parents find out after the kid should already be in drug rehab - they’re not just experimenting.

How did this happen? I’ll tell you one thing, it isn’t because a bunch of heroin or speed dealers suddenly swooped like a swarm of locusts onto campuses. No, the culprit is Big Pharma. Millions of advertising dollars later, we finally have a culture that considers drugs the solution to life’s problems. Medicine cabinets full of speed, opiates and  benzos are creating a society desperately in need of drug rehab.

The drug companies make the big bucks, society goes to hell. Last night my son was telling me about Iggy Pop - who basically invented punk rock. He was a pretty wild guy, but he didn’t take drugs and didn’t drink. His viewpoint - manufacturers of alcohol and drugs are trying to get us addicted. He, for one, vowed not to let them control him, and he spread the word. I find it interesting that Iggy Pop’s perception is more keen that that of many doctors, scientists and world leaders. 

Everyone has problems. Are drugs really how you want to solve them? In the end, they don’t change anything. Life doesn’t change, you just see it differently. The solution is to get into a drug rehab program, then get your life back under your control. 

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