9: How do you balance, with

9: How do you balance, with

alcohol in particular, the .

that its illegal for minors, and you want to "just say no” altogether, with troublesome situations? For example, say,, where a 17 year old is out, has a few beers, maybe shouldn’t be drinking, but that bridge has been crossed, and the kid decides he shouldn't try to hide it, and shouldn't now drive- perhaps call their par-, ents or some other ride home? A : That is one thing that I Xlam really cut and dried on: kids drinking. I guess I have just seen too many kids die. I've seen some of the bad things that happen. That has always been a stickler for me, alcohol and using drugs, especially when you get behind the wheel of a car. Its no tolerance for me. You made the decision, you know its illegal. Yes its tempting, but there is a whole lot more you can do if you don't make that decision. With my parents,-when I was in high school, the rule was if you come home with alcohol oh your breath, you will not have a license, period. There was no leeway with it. I respected that, because I knew that was in concrete. You take the most inexperienced driver, and add a depressant,, and its just is really a killer and a crippler.

We go through a drunk driving stop in the D.A.R.E. class. It is an acting exercise where they are in their chair, as the driver, and we go through a stop, and the various tests, and then an arrest. I put their hands behind their back and tell them "you'd be handcuffed right now.". When you are put under arrest you have lost all kinds of freedoms because of your actions. You cannot go away. You cannot say "I'm not going to do that." You are going with me, maybe to jail, or juvenile detention *r have your parents pick you up. Its a useful exercise that highlights the reality of the situation.

My daughter's 18. Its understood that she won't drink. I trust her on that. If I fall asleep on the sofa, she will wake me up and I know she hasn't been drinking. I would be disappointed if she did, but I would be more disappointed if she drove, or rode with someone who had been drinking, and she knows that. I'm not a total brick wall. If she made a poor judgment I would much rather she called me or my wife up, and we would go pick her up.