this post was submitted on 06 Jan 2025
612 points (99.7% liked)

Uplifting News

11916 readers
22 users here now

Welcome to /c/UpliftingNews, a dedicated space where optimism and positivity converge to bring you the most heartening and inspiring stories from around the world. We strive to curate and share content that lights up your day, invigorates your spirit, and inspires you to spread positivity in your own way. This is a sanctuary for those seeking a break from the incessant negativity often found in today's news cycle. From acts of everyday kindness to large-scale philanthropic efforts, from individual achievements to community triumphs, we bring you news that gives hope, fosters empathy, and strengthens the belief in humanity's capacity for good.

Here in /c/UpliftingNews, we uphold the values of respect, empathy, and inclusivity, fostering a supportive and vibrant community. We encourage you to share your positive news, comment, engage in uplifting conversations, and find solace in the goodness that exists around us. We are more than a news-sharing platform; we are a community built on the power of positivity and the collective desire for a more hopeful world. Remember, your small acts of kindness can be someone else's big ray of hope. Be part of the positivity revolution; share, uplift, inspire!

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Summary

Teen drug, alcohol, and tobacco use in the U.S. continues to decline, with record-low usage levels reported in 2023, according to the University of Michigan's Monitoring the Future survey.

Among 12th graders, 66% reported no recent use of alcohol, marijuana, cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, while 80% of 10th graders and 90% of 8th graders avoided these substances entirely.

Experts attribute the decline partly to reduced peer pressure during the pandemic.

However, nicotine pouch use has doubled among 12th graders, raising concerns.

Despite pop culture's glamorization of smoking, teen cigarette use remains low.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 66 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

On the one hand, cigarettes are bad and everyone should quit. And alcohol should be used in moderation. And many drugs are very dangerous and addictive and should be avoided. So this is probably good.

On the other hand, if this means are just sitting home alone, maybe having parasocial relationships with influencers, that's sad.

[–] [email protected] 43 points 2 weeks ago (5 children)

Teenagers going out to party - bad

Teenagers sitting at home - also bad.

What the hell are kids supposed to do? Just not exist from the period where we stop finding them cute till adulthood?

[–] [email protected] 16 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Already being worked on. Fertility rates are below replacement rate and keep dropping.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Well......yeah. Have you SEEN this world??? I don't want to bring new kids into this awful planet. Do YOU???

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

You can go out to party without doing heroin.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 weeks ago

Sure if you want to be lame

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago

I'm already so sleepy, I don't need to feel even sleepier.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago
[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Going out to party isn't bad. Sitting at home using drugs and alcohol compulsively because you are addicted is bad. It's a fine line to walk but lots of people do it. I did every drug under the sun as a youth and turned out fine, and this applies to pretty much my entire university cohort. Not a single one of them ended up as a junkie.

Should we encourage kids to drink and do drugs? I don't know tbh. That experience was genuinely positive for me because it gets me out there in the world, made me friends and memories and taught me lessons about moderation. From my point of view the people who ended up getting the shit end of the stick were the handful of people I know who got addicted to WoW and online gambling, not the one who did drugs on occasion. But apparently those things are becoming common and culturally acceptable while partying isn't. Take that as you will.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 weeks ago

For my kid who is very athletic, I always phrased it as “don’t destroy your cardio by inhaling any ashes or burning stuff”

But he is so strait laced and so careful with his health that it’s not really an issue.

My other kid is a different story. Luckily he doesn’t like the smell of cigarettes or pot smoke, but I found out his vice when he offered me a gummy. First: cool, second: shit, I was supposed to yell at you

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago

I got my vasectomy, did you?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Sports, Music, Hobbies like board games, Outdoor activities like camping and hiking.

There is plenty of fulfilling things to do together that dont involve alcohol or other drugs or "partying" in the sense of loud music, bad hookups and regrettable videos the next day.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Why assume people can't socialize in person without the use of drugs?

[–] ToyDork 1 points 1 week ago

It's not "can't", it's "usually don't want to as teenagers". Teenagers are easily addicted, and everyone reacts to each drug differently. Sadly today's teenagers generally play only hyper-casual video games because they played Angry Flappy Farmville Mafia Crush as toddlers before moving on to Raid: Gacha Impact of Clans.

There are gamers that play multiplayer but single player games aren't the problem. The fact that people can't afford to live in reality at age 35 because they don't have 10 years of work experience because nobody was hiring when they had just earned their degree and their student debt was literally a hard 'no' to declaring bankruptcy? They lost work experience in their field during the prime of their career because of 2008, that's irrepairable. People would rather buy a new car in Cyberpunk or a new house in The Sims because the real thing is unattainable to an entire generation. Generation Z has their life ahead of them. The real iGeneration doesn't. We didn't get the chance to prove ourselves until our bodies had wasted away and our experiences in the workplace were the same as they were fresh out of college.

That's if you could afford college at all. Most of us, myself included, weren't that fortunate. My younger brother went to college on BOTH of our college funds because I could not make use of mine.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Why do you single out alcohol as "should be used in moderation"? It's literally a hard drug and way worse than cigarettes.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Does "hard drug" have an agreed upon definition?

I'm pretty sure cigarettes are worse. Much more addictive, harmful to the user and nearby people, and the cigarette butts I think are an environmental hazard.

Alcohol use is as old as human civilization. I don't think light usage is that hazardous.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

There you go.

TLDR: Alcohol is a psychoactive, addictive carcinogen that will give you cancer no matter the consumption (though of course the more you drink the worse it becomes). It'll also fuck up your liver, but that's not mentioned in this article as it focuses on cancer.

That aside, where did you get that cigarettes are more addictive than alcohol? Only one of these will literally kill you if you quit cold turkey unprepared and it's not cigarettes.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Most people I've known who smoke are addicted. They get moody and other withdrawal symptoms. No one I know has a similar relationship with alcohol. This is not a scientific study, but that's been my experience. I know there are alcoholics in the world.

Also nicotine and cigarettes are known to be addictive https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/tobacco-nicotine-e-cigarettes/nicotine-addictive

I'm pretty sure "stopping drinking cold turkey will kill you" is kind of hyperbolic. Most people aren't drinking that heavily. This thread started on the point of moderate drinking.

I acknowledge that even light drinking is unsafe. I wasn't aware it that plausibly that hazardous. Unfortunately, many things are unsafe and I don't think alcohol is going away any time soon. Going out for a drink with friends, there's probably a bunch of hazards there. Unhealthy foods, car exhaust, staying up late.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago

They get moody and other withdrawal symptoms.

Fair enough, but that's mostly phycological addiction, which is a whole different beast. Nicotine addiction on its own is pretty easy to get over afaik.

Unfortunately, many things are unsafe and I don't think alcohol is going away any time soon.

True enough, but it's important to make it clear it's not good for you even in light doses so people can make an informed decision.