Posted by Tony Bylsma on June 24, 2010 under Drug Abuse Prevention Education | 
Here is just a sample of the FAQs from classrooms.
How many drugs are there?
There are hundreds of thousands of substances we’re aware of which can be called drugs. That would be anything from aspirin to some root that is ground up to make tea for it’s mood altering qualities. New drugs are being developed or discovered every day.
Is marijuana a drug?
A drug is a substance, other than food which creates changes in the mind or body of the person who ingests it. It doesn’t matter whether the drug is smoked, sniffed, drunk, injected or eat it. If it isn’t food and alters the functions of the body or mind, it is a drug.
Obviously, marijuana is a drug by definition.
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Posted by Tony Bylsma on June 21, 2010 under How to Help a Drug Addict |
With drug addiction, you should not waste a crisis. 
I’m not trying to be political here, but when the addict has an “episode”, meaning they’ve been arrested, or overdosed or crashed the car while stoned, something that brings the consequences of drug abuse home to them, it can serve to raise their awareness of what the drugs are truly doing to them and how bad the situation has become.
While they were stoned, thinking that all was fine, they were actually much less aware of the truth of their situation. But when something like a car accident or worse occurs, now they take a look at what they’ve been up to and how risky their behavior has been. This is a time when the addicted person will be more able to make a good decision regarding their future actions; they are more likely to seek professional help while the consequences of addiction to drugs are undeniable and staring them right in the face.
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Posted by Tony Bylsma on June 17, 2010 under How to Help a Drug Addict |
This is another in a series of articles outlining the 
symptoms and signs of abuse of and addiction to various dangerous drugs, both legal and illegal.
First, a little about cocaine:
Cocaine abuse and cocaine addiction is not a new problem in most of the world. Cocaine was first used recreationally in the 1860s and quickly spread world-wide. Various preparations of cocaine were added to cigarettes, nasal sprays, ointments and other preparations including “tonics”. The negative effects of coke use were very soon recognized and by 1914, laws were passed in the US outlawing its use without a prescription as a dangerous and addictive substance.
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Posted by Tony Bylsma on June 14, 2010 under How to Help a Drug Addict |
I just read a blog-post where the author said, 
“I am an addict. I will always be an addict. Some people tell me that because I haven’t used drugs in years, I am no longer a drug addict, but I know better.”
He goes on to state that he wakes up every morning thinking about using drugs and wondering if he can make it through the day without relapsing!
I don’t know this guys history, but it’s pretty clear that he was never rehabilitated!
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Posted by Tony Bylsma on June 8, 2010 under How to Help a Drug Addict |
Helping an addict to overcome addiction can be tremendously rewarding. It also isn’t the easiest thing you’ll ever do.
Often, the battle is more about getting started than anything else. You must have their willingness before any progress will be made. In order to actually help a drug addict, he or she must be engaged. This is job one. You have to get the person into a clean communication with you or your job will be thrice as hard.
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