Alright everyone, it is time to add another plant to the list of no-nos. Salvia divinorum, a herb that sounds like it belongs in a Harry Potter movie, is a small time hallucinogenic that is sold legally in many of the United States. This herb is sold in powder and extract form and has been commonly used in healing rituals for years. It is commonly available on the internet, and most people have never heard of it. Except a few.
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These select few happen to be law makers. Salvia divinorum has never caused a death, but law makers feel that it could escalate into the next pot or meth. Eight states have already restricted the sale and procession of this herb and my dear Florida may be next. North Dakota lists salvia divinorum as a schedule I controlled stubstance that carried a felony rap if caught selling, carrying, or using salvia diviorum. According to CBS News, the worry comes from the fact that “no one disputes that the plant impairs judgment and the ability to drive.”
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Now, I am all for increasing the safety of America’s children, but I believe these lawmakers are jumping the gun. As we outlaw more and more of these minor drugs, our kids turn to other things to get the same buzz. For example, when there was a crack down on drugs in schools there was a surge in inhalants. Children will always be able to get a hold of things that they should not and will find a way to get a high. Spray paint, permanent markers, household cleaners, all these things can be used to get a high. If your child wants to get high, they will find a way to get high!
While it seems very negative of me to give this expression of inevitability, this is truly what I think. As many first time parents soon learn, you cannot baby proof the entire world. The same goes for protecting your tweens and teens, but I know you won’t stop trying. The insistence of parents led my high school to outlaw common inhalants about two years before I entered high school. On the list: Liquid Paper (White Out), permanent markers, paint, and washable markers. It seems outrageous doesn’t it? The key to stopping our kids from abusing drugs is to simply teach them restraint. This goes for everything, spending, drugs, alcohol, smoking, etc. While I don’t recommend taking a bong hit with your kids, I believe that you should show them in everything you do that restraint is a good thing. Don’t blow your money on something frivolous when you could have something much more practical. “Think out loud” for your children; walk them through your decisions and reasons so that they will take on your style of reasoning. For example, you go to cousin Beth’s wedding. You are served a glass of Champaign and there is an open bar; what do you do? Well, after you finish your Champaign, sit with your child and think with them. Should I get another drink? Well I know I have to work in the morning and I want to be aware enough to enjoy Beth’s wedding, so I think I’ll just have a soda. Walking them through this will help you to take on your good habits.
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