Pure Parents

Question:

> They could do that. However, if it is so easy, why do girls get pregant > without the education and less commonly with the education? > What can I say other than I don’t believe your claim!   For example, was the > "control group" given the 3×5 card I sugested? > If not, your "conclusion" is so much sh*t but you knew that didn’t you!

Try: http://www.aap.org/policy/0068.html look at the references. All the best, Wyle – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Everyone is different. > Isn’t that special! >Some people are more susceptable. > And some people are less susceptable. > Smoking is one of > the most dangerous long-term behaviors. > Perhaps.   But in the short term it is close to harmless! > Why do only 5% or so of people who > smoke die of lung cancer? > Oh, there are two or three other ways that smoking can shorten your life. > But you knew that, didn’t you.

I knew that: cancer (several types), lung disease (several types), heart disease, stroke. But you got my point, I hope. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->> > Like so much in public schools, everything depends upon the parents.   It is >> > becoming manifest that all the schools do is babysit for 6 hours a day. >> Wrong. Teachers are very valuable professionals. To the extent that they >> have to baby-sit, that is the fault of hte parents. >When are people going to stop assigning blame and start assigning >responsibility for this? > Responsibility starts at home, is managed at home, continues at home. > Transferring educational responsibility from home to the teacher, you > know, I call it a request for babysitting.

Assigning responsibility needs to include an action plan and accountability, as well as consequences for failure.  The kids that make work suck (you all have one) need a babysitter.  The best babysitter is the parent.  So bring the parent into the school to watch junior.  If the parent won’t come in, then junior is educated in the ISS (or similar) room until they do. Maybe that’s drastic.  All I know is if I had children in school, then I would have several conversations with the administration if a select few were allowed to poison a classroom the way kids did when I was in school and the way I was forced to allow when I was behind the desk. JT

Response:

When you claim teachers only babysit, aren’t you also "assigning blame"? I see no difference between "assigning responsibility" and "assigning blame". Here’s my take. Parents have access to their kids most of the time, and therefore have to either accept some responsibility or admit that they are not fulfilling their responsiblity to the child. Parents who do spend time, get to know their child, support education, demonstrate behaviors like "I don’t take unnecessary drugs", etc. seem to have successful kids, regardless of the school system. Schools have a lot of time, cumulative, with children, and a lot of authority. They cannot deny responsibility either. Setting hard and fast standards on behavior seems to help most. I don’t think that the DARE program at my school does a thing but waste time. But kids who have learned honest success and honest self-pride (which comes from earned success) seem much less likely to be involved in drugs, early sex, etc. Students who are inable to do the work required, or students who are bored out of their skull by the inane level seem more likely to be involved in risk-taking behavior. This is not easy for the schools to remedy, but lowering class sizes so that teachers can individualize the curriculum and allowing flexible leveling of classes seems likely to be helpful. Choices should be portrayed honestly in the media. Right now, one hand glorifies bad choices, and the other attempts to terrify kids. Neither is realistic. And, once the child is old enough to understand the possible consequences of their actions, they must take responsibility as well. Ultimately, it is their life and their choice. Pointing fingers won’t help-the blame is shared among all. Or responsibility, if you prefer that term.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> > Like so much in public schools, everything depends upon the parents. It is > > becoming manifest that all the schools do is babysit for 6 hours a day. > Wrong. Teachers are very valuable professionals. To the extent that they > have to baby-sit, that is the fault of hte parents. > When are people going to stop assigning blame and start assigning > responsibility for this? > JT

Response:

> > Like so much in public schools, everything depends upon the parents.   It is > becoming manifest that all the schools do is babysit for 6 hours a day. > Wrong. Teachers are very valuable professionals. To the extent that they > have to baby-sit, that is the fault of hte parents.

When are people going to stop assigning blame and start assigning responsibility for this? JT

Response:

>>> Teen-ager talks frankly about drug use in schools > the article does not sound as though it were written by a > teenager.  

Had you read it CAREFULLY, you’d have noticed that it was written by an adult with quotes from his teenaged daughter.  (Even so, I bet he has the only teenaged daughter who speaks in full, grammatically correct sentences.) >And it has some errors of logic that I can drive a > REAL BIG TRUCK through.

Please, drive your truck.  I’d like to hear the specifics. >> "Boredom more than anything leads kids to use drugs. They don’t >> have anything to do in the suburbs. The only things that are fun that >> are legal involve money, which kids usually don’t have. For example, >> going to coffee shops costs money, and usually involves cigarettes. > OK … if they don’t have the money for a coffeeshop, where > does the money for the drugs come from?  Or is there a Drugs4Kidz > charity I don’t know about?

Shoplifting.  Stores don’t usually sell cigarettes to 16 year-olds. Therefore, cigarettes are free to those with brains, speed, and stealth. >> "The biggest thing is to stop what’s making them use drugs in the >> first place. They need families and community and less television.

Families and communities, yes.  But I’m tired of people blaming the world’s problems on television. Anyhow, fact remains the DARE has not been proven to work.  Period.

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> > I think the problem has a lot more to with kids not having anything to do > > and being bored than education about drugs. Parents need to talk to their > > kids about drugs and continue to talk to them throughout school. Don’t leave > > it to DARE. > But DARE is ridiculous.  You can’t tell me that cocaine is deadly.  If > you snort it once, you’ll be fine.  Ten times a year, you’re fine. > Ten times a month, the money starts to run out and you start to get a > little crazy, otherwise you’re fine.  DARE says cocaine is deadly and > that is not true.  You can’t lie to kids, they know. > Cocaine is deadly. It can kill the first time. It can cause fatal > constriction of the blood vessels or a stroke from high blood pressure. It > is deadly.

Sure.  It’s got roughly the same level of deadliness as other stimulant drugs of its kind.  Above is another DARE tactic.  Smoking a joint is supposed to contain 400 cancer causing substances, or whatever the DARE statistic is.  They don’t tell you how many of those are present in the air we breathe every day… JT

Response:

> They could do that. However, if it is so easy, why do girls get pregant > without the education and less commonly with the education?

What can I say other than I don’t believe your claim!   For example, was the "control group" given the 3×5 card I sugested? If not, your "conclusion" is so much sh*t but you knew that didn’t you!

Response:

alt.parenting.solutions,"Wyle E. Coyote" – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> >But DARE is ridiculous.  You can’t tell me that cocaine is deadly.  If > >you snort it once, you’ll be fine.  Ten times a year, you’re fine. > >Ten times a month, the money starts to run out and you start to get a > >little crazy, otherwise you’re fine.  DARE says cocaine is deadly and > >that is not true.  You can’t lie to kids, they know. > Sarcasm noted. > However, while cocaine is said to be the most addictive drug > known, only something like 1-2% of all of the people who try it > become addicted. > Now, why would that be? >Everyone is different.

And that is your *science*? >Some people are more susceptable.

OK, let’s go with that, just for the sake of discussion. What is, exactly, this "susceptability"?  Tell us what parts of the brain or body are responsible for it and exactly how it does what it does. Please?  Pretty please with sugar on it? >Smoking is one of >the most dangerous long-term behaviors.

Same request for this assertion.  I assume that you have the science to tell us all what is behind it, right? >Why do only 5% or so of people who smoke die of lung cancer?

Because 95% of the smokers are too bull-headed to die like you would like them to? When you can tell us, scientifically, the why, where and how, we will have an answer to that.  Until then, you are just attempting to SCARE. "Who we are and who we become depends, in part, on who we love." — "A General Theory Of Love"  Thanks, Mom

Response:

[Removed alt.teens from the newsgroup list, per Dorthy's request] alt.parenting.solutions,"Wyle E. Coyote" >Cocaine is deadly. It can kill the first time. It can cause fatal >constriction of the blood vessels or a stroke from high blood pressure. It >is deadly.

Hmmm. Peanuts are deadly.  They can kill the first time.  Blah, blah, blah. Aw, get serious, man.  Stop trying to sound like you know about it when all that you are really string to do is SCARE folks. "Who we are and who we become depends, in part, on who we love." — "A General Theory Of Love"  Thanks, Mom

Response:

> Everyone is different.

Isn’t that special! >Some people are more susceptable.

And some people are less susceptable. > Smoking is one of > the most dangerous long-term behaviors.

Perhaps.   But in the short term it is close to harmless! > Why do only 5% or so of people who > smoke die of lung cancer?

Oh, there are two or three other ways that smoking can shorten your life. But you knew that, didn’t you.

Response:

> This is an anecdote. One kid’s opinion. It is far better to let children > know about drugs so they can defend themselves than to let them go > ignorant > and not know what they are getting into when they get into drugs, IHMO. I > am > not suggesting that DARE is effective. However, parents educating their > children and being involved in their lives is. > Good!    D.A.R.E. is a waste of time and money.   It represents the first > contact many if not most students have with drugs.

I did not say that DARE is or is not a waste of money. I don’t know. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Kids who have been taught about sex and birth control are more likely to > use > birth control when they have sex and less likely to have sex. > Un huh. > Another waste of time and money.   The effective content of these sex > courses would be printed on a 3×5 card with plenty of room to spare:  1) > Sex will eventually make girls have babies unless they are on the pill and > then it still might!   2)   If you have sex often enough with "diverse" > people you will catch something that can’t be cured. > "They" could throw in Catholic School scare stuff for the girls:  "Boys are > evil, etc."  You know, the stuff you want to tell teen daughters before they > go on dates.

They could do that. However, if it is so easy, why do girls get pregant without the education and less commonly with the education? > I think the problem has a lot more to with kids not having anything to do > and being bored than education about drugs. Parents need to talk to their > kids about drugs and continue to talk to them throughout school. Don’t > leave > it to DARE. > Like so much in public schools, everything depends upon the parents.   It is > becoming manifest that all the schools do is babysit for 6 hours a day.

Wrong. Teachers are very valuable professionals. To the extent that they have to baby-sit, that is the fault of hte parents. > Learning only comes from the parents; if the parents will not or cannot > teach their kids, the kids are S.O.L.  (and that don’t mean Standards of > Learning, either!)

Learning comes from TV, friends, teachers, computers, books, parents and other releatives. All the best, Wyle – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I think the problem has a lot more to with kids not having anything to do > and being bored than education about drugs. Parents need to talk to their > kids about drugs and continue to talk to them throughout school. Don’t leave > it to DARE. > But DARE is ridiculous.  You can’t tell me that cocaine is deadly.  If > you snort it once, you’ll be fine.  Ten times a year, you’re fine. > Ten times a month, the money starts to run out and you start to get a > little crazy, otherwise you’re fine.  DARE says cocaine is deadly and > that is not true.  You can’t lie to kids, they know.

Cocaine is deadly. It can kill the first time. It can cause fatal constriction of the blood vessels or a stroke from high blood pressure. It is deadly. All the best, Wyle – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> JT

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->> I think the problem has a lot more to with kids not having anything to do >> and being bored than education about drugs. Parents need to talk to their >> kids about drugs and continue to talk to them throughout school. Don’t leave >> it to DARE. >But DARE is ridiculous.  You can’t tell me that cocaine is deadly.  If >you snort it once, you’ll be fine.  Ten times a year, you’re fine. >Ten times a month, the money starts to run out and you start to get a >little crazy, otherwise you’re fine.  DARE says cocaine is deadly and >that is not true.  You can’t lie to kids, they know. > Sarcasm noted. > However, while cocaine is said to be the most addictive drug > known, only something like 1-2% of all of the people who try it > become addicted. > Now, why would that be?

Everyone is different. Some people are more susceptable. Smoking is one of the most dangerous long-term behaviors. Why do only 5% or so of people who smoke die of lung cancer? All the best, Wyle – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> "Who we are and who we become depends, in part, on who we love." > — "A General Theory Of Love"  Thanks, Mom

Response:

> However, while cocaine is said to be the most addictive drug > known, only something like 1-2% of all of the people who try it > become addicted. > Now, why would that be?

Actually, I’ve heard that nicotine is the most addictive drug.  I’m not sure exactly how ‘addictiveness’ is measured though. Nice to hear from you again Glen. Beth Clarkson

Response:

>> However, while cocaine is said to be the most addictive drug > known, only something like 1-2% of all of the people who try it > become addicted. > Now, why would that be? >Actually, I’ve heard that nicotine is the most addictive drug.  

I wasn’t trying to get into a contest — that’s why I said "said to be". I’d put more research into that, but first I need a cigarette. >I’m not sure >exactly how ‘addictiveness’ is measured though.

Exactly.  It may well be done by the media and changes weekly. >Nice to hear from you again Glen.

I was *trying* to type quietly. "Who we are and who we become depends, in part, on who we love." — "A General Theory Of Love"  Thanks, Mom

Response:

>> I think the problem has a lot more to with kids not having anything to do > and being bored than education about drugs. Parents need to talk to their > kids about drugs and continue to talk to them throughout school. Don’t leave > it to DARE. >But DARE is ridiculous.  You can’t tell me that cocaine is deadly.  If >you snort it once, you’ll be fine.  Ten times a year, you’re fine. >Ten times a month, the money starts to run out and you start to get a >little crazy, otherwise you’re fine.  DARE says cocaine is deadly and >that is not true.  You can’t lie to kids, they know.

Sarcasm noted. However, while cocaine is said to be the most addictive drug known, only something like 1-2% of all of the people who try it become addicted. Now, why would that be? "Who we are and who we become depends, in part, on who we love." — "A General Theory Of Love"  Thanks, Mom

Response:

> Sex will eventually make girls have babies unless they are on the pill

Nonsense.

Response:

> I think the problem has a lot more to with kids not having anything to do > and being bored than education about drugs. Parents need to talk to their > kids about drugs and continue to talk to them throughout school. Don’t leave > it to DARE.

But DARE is ridiculous.  You can’t tell me that cocaine is deadly.  If you snort it once, you’ll be fine.  Ten times a year, you’re fine. Ten times a month, the money starts to run out and you start to get a little crazy, otherwise you’re fine.  DARE says cocaine is deadly and that is not true.  You can’t lie to kids, they know. JT

Response:

> Another waste of time and money.   The effective content of these sex > courses would be printed on a 3×5 card with plenty of room to spare:  1) > Sex will eventually make girls have babies unless they are on the pill and > then it still might!   2)   If you have sex often enough with "diverse" > people you will catch something that can’t be cured.

Are you saying that you are against diversity??!? JT

Response:

> Good!    D.A.R.E. is a waste of time and money.   It represents the first > contact many if not most students have with drugs.

DARE is not intentionally "bad", it just doesn’t work the way those that put it together wanted it to work. From the best of intentions… > Another waste of time and money.   The effective content of these sex > courses would be printed on a 3×5 card with plenty of room to spare:

Actually, research has shown that sex education does have a payoff. > 1) Sex will eventually make girls have babies unless they are on the > pill and then it still might!   2)   If you have sex often enough with > "diverse" people you will catch something that can’t be cured.

While both are somewhat accurate statements, they are the same as DARE’s simplified answers, and for much the same reason, are "bad". > Like so much in public schools, everything depends upon the parents.

That is the most correect thing you have said, but it should be rephrased to… Like so much in a childs life, everything depends on parenting.

Response:

>It is far better to let children >know about drugs so they can defend themselves than to let them go ignorant >and not know what they are getting into when they get into drugs, IHMO.

  Yes!   >I think the problem has a lot more to with kids not having anything to do >and being bored than education about drugs.

  Exactly.   > Teen-ager talks frankly about drug use in schools

  the article does not sound as though it were written by a teenager.  And it has some errors of logic that I can drive a REAL BIG TRUCK through.   > "Boredom more than anything leads kids to use drugs. They don’t > have anything to do in the suburbs. The only things that are fun that > are legal involve money, which kids usually don’t have. For example, > going to coffee shops costs money, and usually involves cigarettes.

  OK … if they don’t have the money for a coffeeshop, where does the money for the drugs come from?  Or is there a Drugs4Kidz charity I don’t know about?   > "The biggest thing is to stop what’s making them use drugs in the > first place. They need families and community and less television.

Tsu Dho Nimh The last thing an organization based on moral outrage wants to see is a sudden outbreak of morality.

Response:

> This is an anecdote. One kid’s opinion. It is far better to let children > know about drugs so they can defend themselves than to let them go ignorant > and not know what they are getting into when they get into drugs, IHMO. I am > not suggesting that DARE is effective. However, parents educating their > children and being involved in their lives is.

Good!    D.A.R.E. is a waste of time and money.   It represents the first contact many if not most students have with drugs. > Kids who have been taught about sex and birth control are more likely to use > birth control when they have sex and less likely to have sex.

Un huh. Another waste of time and money.   The effective content of these sex courses would be printed on a 3×5 card with plenty of room to spare:  1) Sex will eventually make girls have babies unless they are on the pill and then it still might!   2)   If you have sex often enough with "diverse" people you will catch something that can’t be cured. "They" could throw in Catholic School scare stuff for the girls:  "Boys are evil, etc."  You know, the stuff you want to tell teen daughters before they go on dates. > I think the problem has a lot more to with kids not having anything to do > and being bored than education about drugs. Parents need to talk to their > kids about drugs and continue to talk to them throughout school. Don’t leave > it to DARE.

Like so much in public schools, everything depends upon the parents.   It is becoming manifest that all the schools do is babysit for 6 hours a day. Learning only comes from the parents; if the parents will not or cannot teach their kids, the kids are S.O.L.  (and that don’t mean Standards of Learning, either!)

Response:

This is an anecdote. One kid’s opinion. It is far better to let children know about drugs so they can defend themselves than to let them go ignorant and not know what they are getting into when they get into drugs, IHMO. I am not suggesting that DARE is effective. However, parents educating their children and being involved in their lives is. Kids who have been taught about sex and birth control are more likely to use birth control when they have sex and less likely to have sex. I think the problem has a lot more to with kids not having anything to do and being bored than education about drugs. Parents need to talk to their kids about drugs and continue to talk to them throughout school. Don’t leave it to DARE. All the best, WYle

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Teen-ager talks frankly about drug use in schools > By Fred Reed > THE WASHINGTON TIMES > Recently I asked my daughter, Macon, age 19 and a recent > graduate of the schools of Arlington, about the use of drugs in the > schools. > Her thoughts about the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program > run by police departments: "It’s ridiculous. Before the DARE officer > came into my school, I didn’t know anything about drugs. I’d seen people > drinking beer, but that’s all. > "DARE made the world seem like it had a lot of drugs. I started hearing > about them in grade-school DARE. It made the world seem scary and grim. > I wouldn’t have thought about drugs if I hadn’t been told about them. > "The cop in third grade came with a big box with samples of all of the > drugs, with the skull and crossbones on the dangerous ones, that made us > feel scared and curious. In middle school people started wondering > about the different drugs, and DARE told them about ones they > wouldn’t have known to look for. The officer came in with both so we > could see just what they looked like. > "We knew that lots of musicians were doing the same drugs. The > school said drugs were bad, but all the people I thought were neat > were doing drugs. > "It’s ridiculous to create a culture of awareness with really young > children and then wonder why they know about them when they get > older. > "How hard it is to get drugs depends on financial background, > because the rich kids will get more expensive drugs. That’s natural. > The whole array is available if you look for it in any suburban school, > at least around D.C. > "Kids in the suburbs don’t have anything to do. They’re bored. > There’s no sense of community. So they play with drugs: Cigarettes > to marijuana, speed, Ecstasy, acid, mushrooms. Younger kids will > inhale Dust-Off or other chemicals like that. Nitrous oxide you get > mostly at concerts. You’d have to look more for crack in suburban > high schools. > "Really hard drugs are mostly done by rich white kids. There are a > lot of psychodrugs that kids trade: Xanax, Ritalin, codeine, serious > painkillers, because rich kids get them from psychiatrists and trade > them, or overdose on them for effect. > "Yorktown [High School in Arlington] and other wealthy schools > are worse than their appearance would suggest. In Washington-Lee , > an average school, I’d guess 40 percent use some kind of drug, > maybe 15 [percent] use or try harder drugs. More probably try. > "Boredom more than anything leads kids to use drugs. They don’t > have anything to do in the suburbs. The only things that are fun that > are legal involve money, which kids usually don’t have. For example, > going to coffee shops costs money, and usually involves cigarettes. > Movies are expensive. Kids especially have no place to be happy and > feel part of the community, because once you turn into an early teen > nobody wants you around. The whole music industry has drugs in it > all over the place, and schools feel like jails because cops are > everywhere. > "Most teachers don’t feel like friends but disciplinarians. > Especially with the police it got to be a game of us and them, trying to > sneak off campus, and then you might as well drink some beer or > something. > "Kids would walk off campus, smoke a joint, and come back. > People were stoned in class a lot. I knew kids in high school who > were stoned on crystal meth in class. > "Most teachers don’t know what’s going on, or else never address it. > "Often the kids who have the biggest parties look like > All-Americans, and a large percentage get drunk. Most people just > smoke pot and drink; often the more wealthy, isolated types do > harder drugs. > "The war on drugs is a crock. Giving kids more drugs, > psychoactive meds, is really stupid. Kids need a place to go and > hang out. Skateboarding for example is an activity that doesn’t > necessarily involve drugs, yet is often treated criminally. Community > centers should have facilities for such activities that people will > actually do. > "I don’t know what can be done about drugs. It’s just part of being > young. > "Kids are going to use drugs, you can’t stop them, so maybe teach > them how to use drugs safely. I don’t know whether that’s a good > idea or not. > "The biggest thing is to stop what’s making them use drugs in the > first place. They need families and community and less television. > Kids are just generally depressed, so they do drugs. Overall the > whole environment for teen-agers needs to be fixed." > She has seen what she’s talking about. It wouldn’t necessarily hurt to > listen. > http://www.washtimes.com/metro/20010903-84759766.htm

Response:

Teen-ager talks frankly about drug use in schools By Fred Reed THE WASHINGTON TIMES Recently I asked my daughter, Macon, age 19 and a recent graduate of the schools of Arlington, about the use of drugs in the schools. Her thoughts about the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program run by police departments: "It’s ridiculous. Before the DARE officer came into my school, I didn’t know anything about drugs. I’d seen people drinking beer, but that’s all. "DARE made the world seem like it had a lot of drugs. I started hearing about them in grade-school DARE. It made the world seem scary and grim. I wouldn’t have thought about drugs if I hadn’t been told about them. "The cop in third grade came with a big box with samples of all of the drugs, with the skull and crossbones on the dangerous ones, that made us feel scared and curious. In middle school people started wondering about the different drugs, and DARE told them about ones they wouldn’t have known to look for. The officer came in with both so we could see just what they looked like. "We knew that lots of musicians were doing the same drugs. The school said drugs were bad, but all the people I thought were neat were doing drugs. "It’s ridiculous to create a culture of awareness with really young children and then wonder why they know about them when they get older. "How hard it is to get drugs depends on financial background, because the rich kids will get more expensive drugs. That’s natural. The whole array is available if you look for it in any suburban school, at least around D.C. "Kids in the suburbs don’t have anything to do. They’re bored. There’s no sense of community. So they play with drugs: Cigarettes to marijuana, speed, Ecstasy, acid, mushrooms. Younger kids will inhale Dust-Off or other chemicals like that. Nitrous oxide you get mostly at concerts. You’d have to look more for crack in suburban high schools. "Really hard drugs are mostly done by rich white kids. There are a lot of psychodrugs that kids trade: Xanax, Ritalin, codeine, serious painkillers, because rich kids get them from psychiatrists and trade them, or overdose on them for effect. "Yorktown [High School in Arlington] and other wealthy schools are worse than their appearance would suggest. In Washington-Lee , an average school, I’d guess 40 percent use some kind of drug, maybe 15 [percent] use or try harder drugs. More probably try. "Boredom more than anything leads kids to use drugs. They don’t have anything to do in the suburbs. The only things that are fun that are legal involve money, which kids usually don’t have. For example, going to coffee shops costs money, and usually involves cigarettes. Movies are expensive. Kids especially have no place to be happy and feel part of the community, because once you turn into an early teen nobody wants you around. The whole music industry has drugs in it all over the place, and schools feel like jails because cops are everywhere. "Most teachers don’t feel like friends but disciplinarians. Especially with the police it got to be a game of us and them, trying to sneak off campus, and then you might as well drink some beer or something. "Kids would walk off campus, smoke a joint, and come back. People were stoned in class a lot. I knew kids in high school who were stoned on crystal meth in class. "Most teachers don’t know what’s going on, or else never address it. "Often the kids who have the biggest parties look like All-Americans, and a large percentage get drunk. Most people just smoke pot and drink; often the more wealthy, isolated types do harder drugs. "The war on drugs is a crock. Giving kids more drugs, psychoactive meds, is really stupid. Kids need a place to go and hang out. Skateboarding for example is an activity that doesn’t necessarily involve drugs, yet is often treated criminally. Community centers should have facilities for such activities that people will actually do. "I don’t know what can be done about drugs. It’s just part of being young. "Kids are going to use drugs, you can’t stop them, so maybe teach them how to use drugs safely. I don’t know whether that’s a good idea or not. "The biggest thing is to stop what’s making them use drugs in the first place. They need families and community and less television. Kids are just generally depressed, so they do drugs. Overall the whole environment for teen-agers needs to be fixed." She has seen what she’s talking about. It wouldn’t necessarily hurt to listen. http://www.washtimes.com/metro/20010903-84759766.htm

Response: