Wouldn't have mattered where the kid got his drugs from. He wanted them and would have gotten them anywhere. And I'm more than certain it wasn't his first time using. I know exactly what it is with these kids, too. They pop a couple of pills and don't feel immediate results, so they pop more, thinking the stuff is weak or they need a higher dose to achieve the high. Inexperienced user = death.

I definitely agree that parents need to be parents and get in their kids' lives. My own teenager was in a "curious" stage and when we pried and made her life miserable for a while there, it worked and nipped it in the bud. We weren't exactly tyrants, but we kept a close eye on her comings and goings, who she was hanging out with, who she was talking with on the phone, made sure she adhered to curfew, etc. We also explained that we were doing this because we cared and told her that she can talk to us about anything, including sex, drinking, and drugs and we would never mislead her. If anyone is going to give it to her straight, it's us.

Well, suffice to say, my girl does come to me about all sorts of things now. I didn't enable my child by exhibiting denying behavior like, "Oh, not my kid." I went full force with rules and family intervention and it worked. Too bad more parents didn't have the courage to do the same. Too worried that their babies won't love them anymore and at who's Best if kept off the board expense??? Their child's. It's easy to blame someone else because parents didn't know how to do their own job. More denial!

lemongrass