Recovering Addicts Experimented with Drugs as Early as Age 12, pt. 1
Young adults from Wisconsin who work with a program to warn young people about the dangers of drug addiction admit that they began to use drugs as early as age twelve. And while we have heard a lot of talk about certain substances being “gateway” drugs (that is drugs that are supposedly less harmful than the other drugs that people will try once they have tried the gateway drug), any drug experimentation increases the risk of more.
One young man said he began drinking alcohol at the age of twelve. After this, he went on try marijuana, cocaine and prescription drugs. When his prescription drug habit started to cost too much, he turned to heroin in its place.
Another young man who also began to drink in junior high, eventually started to use cocaine, ecstasy, mushrooms and say he would have done heroin if he had been given the chance.
Still another young man started with marijuana and later became addicted to OxyContin.
All of the young men regret that they ever went down the path of drug addiction in the first place, and this is why they agreed to talk to younger kids about how important it is to make wise decisions.
The drug they started with does not matter. The fact that they began to drink alcohol and use drugs at such a young age was the problem for these teens. People who think of smoking marijuana as harmless or some kinds of teenage rights of passage, would do well to remember that this drug is restricted because people of all ages have difficulty in stopping once they begin to use it.
Starting to experiment with drugs is not a 100% guarantee that someone will become an addict or spiral out of control. Yet, the possibility is more pronounced because once you have gotten over any inhibitions you may have had about one addictive substance, it makes it less difficult to try another.
If you know that your child or a family member is experimenting with drugs, work with them to get help right away. Do not hesitate or let them tell you that they are just playing around.
If you have questions about drug addiction, call Transitions Recovery Center’s 24 hour crisis helpline at 800.626.1980
