Sorry BROWNSUGAR, I have to disagree. It is the parents fault and they can do something about it. Having one parent at home raising the children is a start. My husband and I have traded off through the years to make sure one of us is the at home parent at all times. If we're talking about single parents, enlist a support group. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, very good friend to watch the kids when not in school. And you MUST constantly tell them that they CANNOT under any circumstances do drugs or alcohol. Believe me, it does make a difference.

Of course it falls back on parents! Parents are the foundation of what values are taught from day one. And parents always have the upper hand. They should monitor where their child is and what they do on the Internet. They have every right to question other parents. They have the ability to take away priviledges when a child misbehaves - no matter the age.

What can I do to help? How do I help? I really want to do something . . . but I dont' know what to do. I'm only one person, but a change has GOT to start somewhere, with some one. What can I do to help?

Maybe we should put the entire family in jail (or rehab). Maybe if "society" started holding parents responsible for the actions of their kids, people would use birth control more often. Then they wouldn't breed kids that they don't want to raise. Or better yet, people should have to apply for a "License to Breed." Think about that for a minute. We require education, training, certification, etc for everything with the exception of "parenting." We should at least TRY to weed out the non-parent material; has anybody else got a better idea? This is what happens when these dead-beat "parents" assume that the kids will just raise themselves. I'm pretty worried about the future of this country - most of these kids won't live to see adulthood and the ones who do make it that far will end up like the David Allen Coe song: "I turned 21 in prison doing life without parole . . . . " If people don't want to raise kids then they should not breed them, period. Last time I checked, abortion is still legal, and it's damn sure cheaper than the alternative - breeding kids who are certain to become a burden to the rest of us.

Well... I think if the US age for legal consumption of alcohol were lowered to something more reasonable like 14, then instantly many of these children would have a legal alternative to the illegal drugs. After all, if booze is illegal until you are 21, then why not go buy some weed/ mushrooms/ heroin/ crack? They are illegal too, and with such a large market of under 21 year olds, there are plenty of people trying to sell!

If people are worried about little drunk hooligans.. the answer is that they must drink with their parents (is that a way to make drinking uncool or what!)

After all, if young people can vote at 18, can leave school and join the workforce full time at 16 (in America?) they need a legal way to share time with other adults who can mentor/keep and eye on them afterhours. They cannot drink until they are 21? Why would under 21s hang around over 21s if they cannot participate in social activities with them?

Everyone wants to blame the mother and father. you all should know that this day in age it takes two incomes to make ends meet.You can not watch there every move. All you can do is pray the make the right move.And teachers should beable to also tell the action in the child. It takes everyone to help raise a child now a days. I have a 3, 10, and a 12 year old I teach them right from wrong. we live in a small town. My husben and I both work. The teachers here let us know when or child has made a chance in anything, so we can try to find out what is going on.

There appear to be many accusations flying about as well as far-out, "quick-fix" approaches to dealing with the issue at hand. I applaud the fact that everybody commenting has the same core opinion- our children should not be exposed to drugs. Alas, there is never one person to blame, nor is there ever one solution. One cannot solely point a finger at parents because what happens while that child is at school is out of the parent's control. At the same time, one cannot place blame on the educational system for teachers and administrators are overworked and under-budgeted... they do their best to give kids a fighting chance at a good future. I don't feel that there is a "quick fix" to this problem. I do feel that there should be more communication within communities- teachers and parents, television producers, governments... We need to work together to discover why our children feel this need to take illegal substances; and together work on finding a solution.

ELLEN, I COULDN'T AGREE WITH YOU MORE ABOUT WHAT YOU HAD TO SAY ABOUT THE WAY TO HANDLE THINGS WITH YOUR CHILDREN, ALL I WAS SIMPLY SAYING WAS THAT THERE'S STILL THAT TEN MINUTE WALK HOME FROM SCHOOL, OR TO THE BUS STOP, THERE'S THOSE TIMES WHEN YOUR ON YOUR WAY HOME FROM WORK, YET YOUR NOT THERE JUST YET, ALL THOSE STUPID LITTLE TIMES WHEN YOUR NOT THERE THAT YOU CANNOT CONTROL WHAT YOUR CHILD DOES, AND SOMETIMES, WHEN THEY ARE YOUNG, LIKE 10 AND 11 ALL THEY WANT TO DO IS BE COOL, BE LIKE THE BIG KIDS AND THOSE TEN MINUTES ARE ALL IT TAKES TO HIT A JOINT, SMOKE A CIGARETTE, OR EVEN TAKE THESE "CHEESE" PILLS.... I THINK FROM READING YOUR PASSAGE YOU SOUND LIKE A GREAT MOTHER AND YOU HAVE BEEN DOING A GREAT JOB, BUT A CHILD WILL BE A CHILD, AND THAT, WE CANNOT HELP....

Thanks Elaine:
I'm so glad someone got it right! It is the only sensible thing I've read so far!!

Drug use/abuse in the United States (and probably across the world) seems to be out of control. Completely out of control. In the case of 11 and 12 year olds, I have a hard time believing they have much to say in the matter. One of their "buddies" says here eat this, and just like that their hooked. They don't have any realization the consequences of their actions. The adult population can not turn their backs on drugs any longer. We have to take a stand. "We" have to do something. "We" have to make it hard for dealers to deal. "We" have to take the streets back ! Drugs are everywhere these days. EVERYWHERE ! You shouldn't be surprised if some of your best friends are using or maybe worse dealing drugs. You want someone to blame.....blame the dealers.

Abolish public schools.

Personally anyone who says that it takes a village to raise a child doesn't have any children, or doesn't know how to raise them properly. Also I seriously don't understand how anyone can say they can't make ends meet by working full time. Myself and my wife have worked full time for the last three years since I left the service, and we have had no problems paying the bills. Yes we have a house payment, yes we have utilities. We even have money left over for savings, retirement and extras such as movies, going out to eat, and misc shopping. People who say they can't make ends meet on 40 hours a week needs to see a financial advisor to make a budget and learn what you really don't need.

No one's asked the question - where are middle school children getting the money necessary to buy drugs (or alcohol or cigarettes)? You can't be employed until 15 in most states, unless your doing private odd jobs like lawnmowing or babysitting. Parents need to ensure that allowance is going for lunch money!

I am 21 years pld and i am shock to hear that 11-12 years old are doing this.I hope that this hurry up and get fix because i wouldnt want any kids to die from this.Its very sad.

Hey, it's tejas...what do you expect?

I am from Dallas and this is not as big a deal as you all make it seem. Most kind and teens will try drugs, good parenting or bad. But yes you can help, leard to talk to yous kids on there level, thats what my parents did and i have been clean for over a year now.

Several comments strike me as disturbing, 1) that parenting cannot control what takes place when a child is alone and 2) that a household cannot be maintained on a single salary. I strongly disagree on both fronts.

I was raised in a household that commanded respect in addition to consequences for my actions. If a child is not taught right from wrong, how will they ever stand up to a peer? It is a simple element of teaching a child to make up their own mind and become their own person. I always thought about how terribly I would let down my parents if I tried illegal drugs of any kind. And imagine that, I am a well-adjusted 32-year-old adult with a successful career and no "scars" from being taught to respect my parents.

I additionally strongly disagree with the notion that a household can only be maintained on two salaries. My father held two jobs for the sole purpose of allowing my mother to stay home with my sisters and I. To suggest that sacrifices cannot be made for the children is despicable. Does one have to spend $100 on cable monthly? Does a family have to have an expensive or new car or eat fast food? What in the world ever happened to making decisions for the future and not for immediate gratification.

I'm a teacher and yes, it all goes back to the parents. I can't tell you how many parents make excuses for their kids. One child in our class is a real stinker, his parents blame it on low-blood sugar. Ha! He's a spoiled brat who never hears the word NO! It needs to start early, there must be rules and consequences. Kids need structure and discipline, and I don't mean physical punishment. Take their darn video games away, teach them about making good choices...My loser neighbors actually had the audacity to say "That's the school's job"...no wonder these poor kids are so lost!

I totally agree with Elizabeth. And Melissa, you dont have a clue and should not have children. I am 47 now and was raised with 1 younger brother in a family that did not attend church. I was taught the basic morals and we hunted/ fished on our weekends. My father and mother both worked 50-70 hours a week and did so we could live in a middle class neighborhood. Peer pressure be damned, myself and my brother did not use any drugs/alcohol/tobacco. Any "buddy" that tried to have one of us take anything was no longer a "buddy". Our respect of our parents and the ideals they instilled in us were much more important than anything a peer could offer, and always will be. I am proud to have a 17 year old daughter who was and is being raised the same way. We talk, fish, but do not hunt together since she likes animals not on a plate. Over the course of the last few years, she has stopped all contact with several "friends", because of thier promiscuity, or ideas about drugs. My wife works, and I average 110+ days away from home a year with my job. When away, I talk to both my wife and daughter every day. Point is folks, if you have a child, there is no excuse not to raise them right..Yes, it is a pain in the posterior sometimes, but when you concieved the child you took on that responsibility for yourself, the child, and society. Let your children know daily that they are the most precious thing in the world to you. Spend time talking with them, assist them with thier studies.......Take them to a movie the day you get back in town after a 3 week trip, even though you are exhausted. The bond you make and have with your children will be much stronger than any peer pressure, and as your child enters the adult world, he/she will be much more adept at dealing with it. Take Care, and be a parent.. Ralph.

It proves that the conservative are right after all. Almost all liberal attitudes have been proven to be detrimental to this country and the children. I wonder what is going to happen in the future in the US.
This kids are going to be our future police, firemen and taxpayers.