“I thought marijuana was no big deal. … I felt I could stand out if I did crazy things.” That wasbefore Kevin West put a bullet through his head — stoned on pot.
Kevin went from house to house with his friends, toking at each stop. Then someone suggested they play a game of Russian roulette.
Kevin agreed. He didn’t realize that putting a gun to his head and pulling the trigger might be life-changing.
It was. Two years of surgeries, treatment and medication have not erased the damage Kevin did to himself. His left side is paralyzed. He must take medication daily to prevent seizures. “I only smoked for a few months. Now I’m on drugs for the rest of my life. I thought marijuana was no big deal.”1
“No Big Deal…”
You’ve heard anti-drug messages before. Maybe you said, “Yeah, whatever,” and didn’t give it a second thought. There are a lot of attitudes about drug use floating around. Some say it’s harmless fun. Others try to persuade you not to use. But maybe what you’re hearing doesn’t seem to add up with what you see. You may know people who use. They do well in school. They start on the football or basketball team. You see them smoked out only at parties. And it’s the same in the media, where many celebrities enthusiastically endorse pot smoking but seem to suffer few ill effects from their habit. So you may dismiss the warnings.
Despite popular perceptions, even casual drug use can have devastating consequences. Today’s anti-drug messages highlight some of them but tend to focus only on the physical effects of use. The teen who’s asked Christ to be Lord of his life should know that drug use can damage his soul as well as his body.
More of the story, click the link below:
http://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/teen_booklets/vicious-truth-about-drugs-and-alcohol.aspx