Hind Sight is 20/20
Posted by Sean on July 9, 2008
Would you do it over again?
What if you knew ahead of time the consequences of your actions?
Do you think the drug user who is suffering from bacteremia, or HIV, or AIDS would have made a different set of choices when faced with that first drug? Would they have said no?
How about the severe alcoholic who is suffering from liver failure, or pancreatitis? Do you think he would have said no to that first drink had they known?
Or what about the long-time smoker who is battling COPD, respiratory failure, and/or ARDS? Would they have said no to that first cigarette/cigar had they known?
The reality is. They all know. They all knew. They ALL were aware. Whether or not they were listening, remains to be seen.
So why do we still have our hospitals populated with the chronic liver failure patients who continue to drink alcohol?
Why do we still have the COPD patient smoking a cigarette with their home Oxygen tank sitting next to them?
How do we educate the public?
How do we educate our youth?
What would you say to them?
I don’t think there is a human being out there that doesn’t know the ill-effects of smoking, drugs and alcohol, but it’s still a very real and very debilitating national problem.
What if I showed you this machine and this piece of equipment early in your smoking habits?
And told you that in the end, you’ll be breathing through a tube with the circumference the size of your index finger, or worse, you’ll be breathing through a hole in your neck.
Or when you are early in your drinking frenzy, show you slides of how your skin will turn yellow.. The whites of your eyes will turn yellow.. And your body will eventually starve to death?
Why don’t scare tactics work?
What would work for you?
What did work for you?
Carpe Diem
Strong One said
@FitMom After all these years I don’t think the ‘gross out’ is all that effective. At least not in the long term sense, unfortunately.@John The whole reason I posted this thought.@Angie Yes it is.
Strong One said
@FitMom After all these years I don’t think the ‘gross out’ is all that effective. At least not in the long term sense, unfortunately.
@John The whole reason I posted this thought.
@Angie Yes it is.
Angie said
Very..very frustrating to say the least!
Angie said
Very..very frustrating to say the least!
John J. Kaiser said
I am absolutely shocked and puzzled when I see girls and guys who are 17-24 smoking cigarettes. They’ve grown up on anti-smoking ads and they still indulge in such self-destructive habits? I just don’t get it.
John J. Kaiser said
I am absolutely shocked and puzzled when I see girls and guys who are 17-24 smoking cigarettes. They’ve grown up on anti-smoking ads and they still indulge in such self-destructive habits? I just don’t get it.
FitMom said
Honestly, as a teacher myself I think the most effective may be the scary stuff. When I taught tobacco ed we showed the nastiest photos, videos, to gross them out. As far as food, that has got to come from modeling to them what healthy eating is/does look like.
FitMom said
Honestly, as a teacher myself I think the most effective may be the scary stuff. When I taught tobacco ed we showed the nastiest photos, videos, to gross them out. As far as food, that has got to come from modeling to them what healthy eating is/does look like.
Strong One said
@MizFit@Mark It’s a difficult situation. I just wish we could find a way to teach the lesson without the suffering.
Strong One said
@MizFit
@Mark It’s a difficult situation. I just wish we could find a way to teach the lesson without the suffering.
Mark Salinas said
Unfortunately people often need to learn through their own experiences. Many times people believe that science and technology will eventually catch up.Great post!
Mark Salinas said
Unfortunately people often need to learn through their own experiences. Many times people believe that science and technology will eventually catch up.
Great post!
MizFit said
I struggle with this as I spend a lot of ime in the classroom and find that kids simply ( as I did. as I think many of us do/did) believe they are invincible.that this (fill in disease) will never happen to them….
MizFit said
I struggle with this as I spend a lot of ime in the classroom and find that kids simply ( as I did. as I think many of us do/did) believe they are invincible.
that this (fill in disease) will never happen to them….