Tiny Tim in Trouble

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Originally posted by TPM:

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Originally posted by DaddyBo:

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Originally posted by TPM:
I get a kick out of parents who say their kids don't drink in college, perhaps it's just not something they tell you or you have seen. It's the same way for other illegal substances. Very available and these kids are away from home for the first time.

Your quote here would indicate you believe ALL college kids drink and partake in other illegal substances. Is that what you truly believe?

Did I use the word ALL? All I said that I find it interesting that most parents (here and anywhere else) will say their kids don't drink.
If your son or daughter has had one beer, one glass of wine or whatever, they drink.

No, "ALL" was not in your original post...but if you read your first sentence, the way it reads would indicate that. That's why I asked the question...because you did not use the word "most", as you said you did in your reply. It's clear now what you meant. Thanks.

Doesn't it depend on what the meaning of the word "is" is?

Did she say "ALL" or not? Or did she mean "ALL?" Or did she mean it sub-consciously? Or did you think she meant "ALL?"

Whats the point? Silly stuff.

Did they swallow/inhale?

Who cares ? If it is illegal, it is illegal.

*** Well, I see a post was deleted after I wrote this, but I'll leave this one here anyways. ***

workinghard - I won't get into that argument. To me its kind of silly and just ends up with the kind of back-and-forth postings we see above that go nowhere.

Here is one thing I've learned from this thread...and it will affect the way I post in the future as I can see that I too am probably guilty at times. But here it is...

Picking apart someone's post, isolating sentences, isolating phrases and isolating words...you can make just about any point you want and make the original poster look silly (in your own mind).

Funny thing is, I believe I get what TPM was trying to say in the big scheme...but I think its been lost with all of the dissecting and nitpicking.

Earlier in this thread, I posted a very clear reason for HS baseball players not to get involved with marijuana...I concluded with a short phrase, "Don't do it." Some then took that phrase, made fun of it, ignored the clear (and accurate) message that preceded it and probably in their own minds minimized the sound advice I gave.

We do that too often on here and I believe we miss good points as a result. I'll leave it at that.

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Originally posted by justbaseball:
Doesn't it depend on what the meaning of the word "is" is?

Did she say "ALL" or not? Or did she mean "ALL?" Or did she mean it sub-consciously? Or did you think she meant "ALL?"

Whats the point? Silly stuff.

The point was clarification...which was the question. She clarified, so that's cool. Here's the point. This thread has dealt around various topics...some dealing with absolutes, illegalities, etc...mixed in with the "everybody does it" mentality. I just thought it prudent that the concept of "all college kids drink" not be mixed in without some questioning...because it is not true. It probably is "silly stuff" if you don't care about those kind of things...and I realize a lot of people don't, but some do.

Maybe Daddybo thought it was condescending ?

DaddyBo - Fair enough.

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Hope I didn't forget anyone

Gotwood, that was great.All present and acounted for. fan

Yay! (and whew!)

justbaseball- I did delete for the exact reason you mentioned, but since you did throw my name back in the mix, I will let you answer.

If your son or daughter had one drink, would you say they drink?

And as for this comment:
"I get a kick out of parents who say their kids don't drink in college, perhaps it's just not something they tell you or you have seen. It's the same way for other illegal substances. Very available and these kids are away from home for the first time."

I find it demeaning to parents. If I say my son or daughter doesn't drink, they don't drink. Why make fun of parents who state this.

I have NO problem with TPM, you or anyone, just tend to see some things differently I guess.

"Daddy, why are they whipping that dead horse?"

Sorry justbaseball, I see you did answer it. What you feel is silly, I feel is a wide brush, blanketed answer.

We will drop it, cause we ain't gonna agree!

Now maybe we can get back to Marijuana talk!

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Originally posted by baseballregie:
"Daddy, why are they whipping that dead horse?"

Umm.....I don't know son, why?

workinghard - I wasn't trying to single you out, just answer your question that I won't enter the fray in a discussion focused on one phrase or sentence.

I doubt TPM meant it as demeaning, but I guess I don't know. I just took her post (in totality) as saying (accurately in my view) that parents are sometimes a tad naive when it comes to our kids. That includes me.

If that shoe doesn't fit you, then you are a more firmly grounded parent than me (and I don't mean that in any way other than admiringly ) and there is no need to wear it.

I feel somewhat guilty, having posted earlier in this thread. Here is what I said, some may have taken it more personally than what was intended.

First this...

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Whether they want to be... Whether or not they should be... These guys are in fact role models to some kids.

And then later on, this...

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I apologize, but sometimes I think we make ourselves out to be too important. This is a great messageboard, but it is a messageboard where people share their opinions, experiences and stories.

I know it wasn't meant that way but when I read things like...


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The only message we want to send here on these forums is "Don't do it"


I agree with the "Don't do it" part, but in a small way, I disagree with the "only message we want to send" part. Not trying to be a rebel, but also don't want to be told what message to send.

Also, I have to disagree with TPM about this...


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We have an obligation here to help guide young players to make good decisions


I know what was meant, but does anyone who posts here have any such obligation? And does the "we" part mean we are all obligated?

I understand that this is nitpicking words, but words do send a message.

I actually thought this topic warrented more discussion than "Don't do it", though I agreed with the "don't do it" part.

I am a big believer in you can never have too much information. Even kids are better off IMO if they have as much information as possible. Just saying "Don't do it" is not enough information IMO. I believe the message should be... Here is a bunch of information, so that you can make an intelligent decision. Telling people what to do rather than telling them why they should or shouldn't do something is not giving enough information. Once again IMO.

This thread has taken off and many have posted good information. To me the bottom line is still... "Don't do it"! But we all become better informed the more it is discussed.

Sorry, if anyone thought I was stepping on toes or being unfair. I'm glad this topic has been discussed so thoroughly. I know I learned a few things.

One thing I have learned from this site PG is I think we all want what is best for our youth. We might go about it different ways, we might disagree on things, we might hurt some feelings or step on a toe or two.
I don't thing it's intentional, we just all have different views on how things should or should not be done.

I don't think anyone here truly intends to be mean, condescending, or a word I used demeaning, I just think things we type come across that way and some of us take it the wrong way (I'm very guilty). I think if you are on this site, (A) you're here to get all the valuable info you can or (B) you're here to give all the valuable info you can.

Bottom line and I think all will agree, we are not here to hurt or disrespect, we are here to share and receive for the better of our youth.

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Originally posted by gotwood4sale:
.

Ok, ok ...back to baseball!

Let's get started.

A big cat's mom
a coach who may or may not
a fan
a dad not quite 44
an octagonal dad
someone thrilled with this year's World Series result
a mouth without the vowels
a seed sower who takes long walks through the countryside
a soon to be Chris Christie constituent
an oldie, but a goodie from the Nutmeg state who has Spirit
a doll with a loose head
a funny mom with bluegrass stains
a dad who lives in the mistake on the lake, but patently denies it
a just man
a TV dinner from San Diego
someone who hit 04 dingers
a head of CaBBage
a monstor kid from the Empire State
a hot dog that plumps or claims to at least
a double nickel speed limit mom
one who plays by the rules
a peach of a baseball guy
a bopper
a Bo Diddley impersonator
a homer
a mom whose heart throbs for baseball
some big shot from Cedar Rapids
not an outfielder's dad
a bigger daddy who loves baked beans
a string of dots (BFF!)
an extra batter with secret sauce
a longshot
a chip off the old block floating on the lake
Jimmy Olsen; version one, two, and three
a lifeless, yet yapping dog
and another that wags
a big hitter who got it done in the 15th
a dad with two $10's and a load of wit along with a load of concrete
someone working diligently for a living
someone who plays baseball when not looking after some loon
someone who just watches from along Interstate 44
a skyhop who just happens to know how to fly and when necessary clean kitchens
and a bum who doesn't give you his rush

walk into a bar...

.

Brother is that is funny!!!

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And as for this comment:

"I get a kick out of parents who say their kids don't drink in college, perhaps it's just not something they tell you or you have seen. It's the same way for other illegal substances. Very available and these kids are away from home for the first time."

I find it demeaning to parents. If I say my son or daughter doesn't drink, they don't drink. Why make fun of parents who state this.

I believe there are plenty of naive parents who make the statement and are very wrong. This doesn't mean every parent. It's the parents who have created the environment to have open discussions with their kids who are more likely to know the truth, or close to the truth.

When my daughter was in high school she told me some of her friends were drinking and/or smoking pot. These were good kids. She said there were times she left to avoid possible trouble. In college she's told me she had fake ID's before turning twenty-one. Her freshman year she complained too much of the college social life is focused on alcohol. She said the ID's were so she could go to clubs and dance rather than hang out and drink. She would buy one drink and let it sit on the table so the waitress wouldn't bother her. Yes, she drank it. I told her if I had to bail her out of a legal situation she was going to pay for it.

My son, sixteen, told me he drinks one beer and holds on to the bottle all night to look like he's drinking. This is a kid who won't drink soda because it's bad for training, so I believe him. I told him the same thing, get in trouble for being there and you're paying for it.

Some of you may consider this permissive since my kids are breaking the law. I've told both if they see trouble remove themselves from the situation. I was a wild man by high school. So I see my kid's situation as under control. I know some very strict parents who think they're kids aren't doing anything. The kids are drunks and stoners.

There are two clear rules. 1) Never get in a car with anyone who's been drinking. And if you have the car, you're in deep **** if you've had one drop. 2) Your friends are not allowed to drink in our house.

Some of my daughter's friends found leftover liquor in our basement bar from a recent party. When I smelled liquor I lined them up, smelled their breaths, took car keys and called the parents of the quilty.

The kids hate it when you check on them downstairs. But you have to. We have kids at the house a lot. It's a way to control the drinking situation. The previous owner set up the basement like a nightclub. It looks more like a sports bar now. But it has a dance floor, flashing lights and speakers everywhere built into the wall and ceiling. The kids like being there.

My kids have never seen their parents drunk. You can't act one way and tell kids to act another way. It also had an impact on them to have an alcoholic grandfather die in a drunk driving accident.

We all raise our kids differently.

Ours was built on trust. If I don't trust my child and my child doesn't trust me, then we have nothing.

Pretty simple formula. IMO!

Before the "dead horse" is invoked again, I'll move on.

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It's the parents who have created the environment to have open discussions with their kids who are more likely to know the truth, or close to the truth.

I'm late to the debate. So excuse a few late posts. I wasn't interested in reading people's comments on Lincecum. Then I couldn't figure out how there could be 200 posts on the subject and started reading. Whether I agree or disagree there are some interesting posts.

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Because young adults and children read these boards is making such a statement wise?

Isn't it better to discuss the harsh realities of life and the consequences with kids rather than protect them and find out they're making their own uninformed decisions?

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people who use marijuana recognize it is illegal and typically realize they could suffer the legal and monetary repercussions if they are caught.

It has become a misdemeanor with an insignificant fine in several states.

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People who smoke pot need help not admiration

People (adults) who smoke pot should be doing so in private and not promoting it's use publicly. In this environment they also shouldn't be judged.

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a retired police officer who has seen lives destroyed (yes, even by excessive use of marijuana)...

I've seen lives destroyed by having too much money. There are many things that can be dangerous. Having a good life is more about responsibility and proper perspective.

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Using marijuana will unfortunately, most of the time, lead to use of other drugs.

So if the rooster didn't crow, the sun wouldn't come up? From the era I was in college and in my 20's I know a lot of people who never went beyond pot? I know people who tried harder stuff once and decided it wasn't for them. I know a few people now who smoke recreationally. I don't see where it's affected them in a negative manner. Your statement leans too heavily towards the Reefer Madness approach. And no, I don't smoke pot. I tried it a few times in my 20's and walked away from it.

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My view is that is is very sad when I see a millionaire athlete needing drugs to feel good.

Why would a millionaire smoking pot be any different than Joe Average smoking pot. Money doesn't make life perfect.

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Originally posted by Coach Waltrip:
Just curious ZW, is this what you teach your kids?

No, CPLZ's post below explains it well in his post a few pages back.

As what I teach my kids is to give it to them straight on what can happen should they go down that road. That goes for any part of their life as well. That's all you can do as parents. The rest is up them. Give them the room to make some mistakes along the way, intervene when necessary and not go in denial if there's a serious problem and head it off. In the long run, they'll turn out alright. Most do. Keep it real.

I respect everyones opinion and just because my opinion may differ from others on this topic it does not mean I think I am better than you , smarter than you , wiser than you or have raised my kids better than you. It just means I have a different opinion than you. The only way to learn is to open your mind to learning. If you wrap yourself up in the things you believe and refuse to at least discuss issues and listen to others opinions and experiences you will never learn a Da m thing. This also goes for baseball as well.

My wife and I taught our kids to stay away from drugs including alcohol , cigarettes etc etc. We raised our kids to stay away from those that would partake as well. But we also told our kids that no matter what they did or what ever happened to them we would be there for them and they could talk to us about anything. Why? Because they are human and they will make mistakes and they will need to have someone to talk to and we wanted that someone to be us.

Drugs are destructive. So is over eating. So is texting when you drive or dialing a number on your cell phone when your driving. There are many things that are destructive. All you can do is teach your kids to the best of your ability and then be there for them when they need you. There was a time I was black and white on many issues. Then I lived for 50 years. Its not black and white very few things are. So I say drugs are bad including marijuana. But it doesnt make you a bad person if you dont think like me. And it doesnt make you a bad kid if you make a mistake.

It only means you are human. I dont believe for one minute anyone that has posted on this topic believes marijuana is good for you and they dont have a problem with its use. The only difference in this topic is the point of view of how bad is it. So I read and I learn and I put myself in others shoes and walk for awhile in those shoes and see how they fit. And I see that its all good. Its no big deal. We all want the same thing for our kids. And its not black and white.

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Originally posted by workinghard:
One thing I have learned from this site PG is I think we all want what is best for our youth. We might go about it different ways, we might disagree on things, we might hurt some feelings or step on a toe or two.
I don't thing it's intentional, we just all have different views on how things should or should not be done.

I don't think anyone here truly intends to be mean, condescending, or a word I used demeaning, I just think things we type come across that way and some of us take it the wrong way (I'm very guilty). I think if you are on this site, (A) you're here to get all the valuable info you can or (B) you're here to give all the valuable info you can.

Bottom line and I think all will agree, we are not here to hurt or disrespect, we are here to share and receive for the better of our youth .

I guess that's what I was trying to say Coach, some just say it a little more eloquently than others.

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Originally posted by justbaseball:
I doubt TPM meant it as demeaning, but I guess I don't know. I just took her post (in totality) as saying (accurately in my view) that parents are sometimes a tad naive when it comes to our kids. That include me.

Thanks JBB! I do believe that most parents in general are a tad naive, myself included.

Sorry if I offended anyone.

The way I see it, when our kids go off on their own, we have to trust them to make good decisions, I wasn't not going to be so naive to think my baseball playing son would never not have a drink, while underage (as an adult there is nothing I can do about it). We had rules, those being no drinking and driving, the rest I had no control over, but we expected that to be followed to the letter. For what it's worth, one night my son was the designated driver, went to a party and took a cup of beer in hand to look like he belonged, and got hit with a MIP at teh party. He was lucky to escape added press that comes with the territory of going to a small college town where everyone knows your business.

That could have hurt him, so when someone says "don't do it" I think I understand what they mean, you really don't know the implications may bring, even just sitting there with a drink trying to look cool, or getting caught with a pipe and some weed while speeding in your car.

I don't think that anyone should take any of what is posted personally or feel bad or have to explain why they said what they did, this is discussion board and that is what often happens, this is a good topic to learn from, I don't think anyone has posted anything to offended anyone, unless you went after them personally.
JMO.

I'm a firm believer that no country or state should have laws that it can't enforce. That's why alcohol is legal. For this reason, I believe pot will also become legal one day. For better or for worse.

I have never liked the "Just say no" approach. My son saw through that when he was 5 years old.

When my son was in high school he got his younger sisters together and he asked me a pretty important question. He said that his teacher had said that todays parents had no right to tell their kids not to do drugs since they themselves had done them. So, what did I have to say to them about drugs? All three of my teenage kids sat there waiting for me to respond to that accusation.

If I had said anything other than the truth at that moment, I truly believe I would have lost all credibility as a source of advice for them. So I gave them the benefit of my life experience. I hope it left a positive impression with them.

I told them that I couldn't speak for their mom, but I personally had never done a drug in my life. I never smoked pot, never snorted coke or popped a pill. I did do a little drinking but waited until I was 18 years old, the legal age at the time.

I told them that when I was in my 20's, I worked night shift and one of the guys I worked with was a pot dealer. He seemed to have an endless supply of pot and got everyone on the nightshift(about 8 guys) high every night. I was always the one exception. The guys would all leave and I would be the one watching the computer room. This went on for several years. I told them that one time, when some of us were heading in to work together, I hung out in the car with 3 of the guys who were passing the duber around. It would always skip by me but after 30 minutes, I was high anyway. I went into the cafeteria and bought 2 salisbury steak sandwiches from the vending machine and wolfed them down. It is still the only time in my life that I had 'the munchies'.

I told them about the parties I went to where all of a sudden some people would slip into a bedroom or back room and do lines of coke.

I told them how our resident pot dealer on nightshift was a heavy coke user. One night he turned up missing. He was there and then we couldn't find him anywhere. We finally found him in the bathroom. He was bent over the sink running cold water over his nose because his nose wouldn't stop bleeding.

I explained to my kids how coke eats away at the lining of your nose until you get chronic nosebleeds. I wasn't trying to do a 'scared straight with my kids, just telling them my experiences.

I told them that when I was a teenager. I would be at my friends house and he would go in the kitchen and ask his mom if he could take a pear with him when he went outside. She said of course he could. He wrapped the pear up in aluminum foil and we left. He later got together with some other friends and they carved out the pear, lined it with the foil, and made a makeshift bong. My kids loved that story.

I also told them about one of my best friends. A party animal who loved to drink too much and snort coke too much. They all know this guy and have met him. I told them how when he was 32 years old he was rushed to the hospital with a heart problem. It was beating erratically. At 32 he was given a pacemaker. I told them if you tap his chest by the shoulder you can feel it under his skin.

I told my kids a few other stories as well. When I was done my kids realized that I knew quite a bit about drugs and the potential harm they can cause.

My son then asked me if I thought that he was smoking pot. I told him no, I knew he wasn't. He asked me how I knew and I told him that many, many times when he came home from wherever he had been I always checked his eyes and his speech as well as any other signs that he might be high. I told him that I knew he was clean because I know what a person who is high looks like. He never knew how much I was paying attention.

My son didn't smoke pot or do drugs of any kind in high school. When he came back home after his first semester of college I asked him if he enjoyed getting high. He looked at me with a 'who told you that' expression and asked me how I knew he had smoked pot. I told him that it was easy, he was in college and was also an adrenalin junkie. He then told me that he smoked it twice but didn't really like it that much. I wasn't surprised at all because he loves his beer. The drinking games at the college and the parties. At least he's enjoying himself. He also made the Dean's list and stopped drinking during the baseball season. He knows how to keep dad happy.

The one time I did go off on him was when he was chewing tobacco. I threatened to ruin his life if he didn't stop - and I meant every word of it.

My wife and I have been relatively successful with our kids by simply talking to them without preaching to them. They deserve much more than 'Don't do it'.

I spent the day flying across this beautiful country, which unfortunately gave me plenty of opportunity to dwell upon your post Jimmy...about you know, the one implying over a half dozen times about how dishonest I am. Anyway, I started hearing this little voice in my head. You remember it sarg, the intuition thing...when you get that feeling something isn’t right and the little voice is trying to tell you something? That’s the way I feel about your post...it was odd...it just doesn’t add up...

Anyhow, I ask myself why would a guy insist, as you did, that they are the esoteric guru of marijuana as a ‘gateway’ drug? Especially, since it seems obvious your definition is different than those that have been trying to share their knowledge about this subject. But, you would know this because you are the enlightened one...but that didn’t stop you from insulting and belittling those who had something to add to this discussion.

What is also curious to me (read intuition) is when CD asked you some simple questions about marijuana use you ignored him and when he asked you again later you answered with a mumbo jumbo mesh-mash reply...interesting. I guess a simple answer would be beneath your expert witness status...I guess that says something...

Hey, I got an idea, why don’t you take the posts from this topic down to the staff meeting at NORML for a roundtable discussion about how you are changing one heart at time...you know, the ‘how to win friends and influence people’ approach that you seem to be so good at using.

Anyway Jimbo, I’m done with this topic and thank God most kids would have gotten bored with this discussion long before they got to your posts...I wish you the best and good luck in the classroom teaching...

I can clear up some perspective on any view I have on the subject by stating I'm a Libertarian. I vote usually vote Republican because I'm not throwing away my vote, and they represent more of my views than the Democrats.

I don't smoke pot. I've never bought it. I smoked infrequently after college until I decided I didn't need it. My wife has never taken an illegal drug, smoked a cigaretter or drank coffee (no she's not Mormon). She barely drinks. I/we've taught the kids pot is bad for them for three reasons. 1) It can get them in trouble legally, 2) THC can linger in their body affecting their reflexes and 3) they're minors so intoxicants are not on the menu. Maybe it conflicts with knowing my sixteen year old son sometimes has one beer a weekend at parties. But I can live with that.

If a person is a grown adult responsible for themselves I don't care if they smoke pot in their home. I don't want them on the road any more than I would want a drunk person on the road. I wouldn't want someone like a pilot smoking pot even on his off days since the THC in his body could affect his reactions in a critical situation. I wouldn't care if my accountant smoked pot as long as he's not doing it when dealing with my finances. He's not responsible for making timely, life saving reactions.

I agree pot will ultimately become legal. There are states where it's become a misdemeanor to the point where if it doesn't involve driving or smoking in public it's almost ignored. I don't have an issue with it. I've seen a lot more destruction due to alcohol abuse. Maybe the real debate should be if alcohol should be legal. Yes I consume alcohol. But I could live without all of it. But prohibition would conflict with my political views.

My kids have never asked about my wild high school and college times. I guess they assumed I acted like their goody two shoes mother. She never touched alcohol until she was twenty-one. Had they asked I would have been truthful and explained a benefit of being a parent is maturing, learning from mistakes and passing on the wisdom to our kids so they don't repeat the mistakes. I survived my wild times. Some people I know didn't or it became a permanent, destructive lifestyle.

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Originally posted by Coach Waltrip:
[QUOTE]I ask myself why would a guy insist, as you did, that they are the esoteric guru of marijuana as a ‘gateway’ drug? Especially, since it seems obvious your definition is different than those that have been trying to share their knowledge about this subject.

My definition of a "gateway drug" lines up with that of the White House Task Force White Paper and probably yours. Your insinuations are missing by a mile.

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But, you would know this because you are the enlightened one...but that didn’t stop you from insulting and belittling those who had something to add to this discussion.

I was only suggesting that honesty works better when dealing with this issue. Sorry, of that offended you.

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What is also curious to me (read intuition) is when CD asked you some simple questions about marijuana use you ignored him and when he asked you again later you answered with a mumbo jumbo mesh-mash reply...interesting. I guess a simple answer would be beneath your expert witness status...I guess that says something...

I'm sorry that I missed the first time I was asked how I dealt with my kids on this issue. But if you consider my reply that I spoke honestly with my kids and that I warned them against the use of marijuana by how it threatened their health, future and freedom (or lack thereof, e.g. jail) as "mumbo jumbo mesh mash, I feel sorry for you.

Many old-timers here will agree, we have experienced posters on this site from every dimension, from hypocrites, to blinder wearing "closet-dwellers", to realists, to outright fibbers. While we all feel we represent the correctness, the bottom line we may be one of the best groups you could find that represents a cross section of mainsream society, and our common glue is the passion for baseball.

While I plead the fifth concerning the topic, I think we all have to respect the fact that many here were brought up in different eras, different geographic locations, different eco-political environments, and all favoring a multitude of relaxation forms and entertainment pastimes. Bottom line, our lives and opinions differ in many respects but I will bet that all our kids respect our values, opinions, strengths and weaknesses and will use that knowledge to form their own opinions that they will share with their kids.

My Grandmother who passed away this last summer at 98 said you should never judge a book by your first reading, put it away, and when you pick it up later and read it a second time you will usually have a different perspective and opinion. Her point was that as time goes by, ideologies shift according to our experiences and responsibilities. 30 years ago I would have snickered-n-winked in response to the Lincecum's issue, when my kids were in their "inquisitive" years I would have pounded my fist, today I'm a bit indifferent with a "you made the bed, you sleep in it" mentality.

I think you got it about right rz1.

Good stuff rz1.

Good post rz1. I plead the fifth also.

I don't get the great debate. I have lived a lifestyle that I can guarantee no one here has. I never took drugs and was never tempted to.
3 years in London England, 5 years in Mexico and traveled most of the world. There are places they lock you up and throw away the key. And if you argue the merits of MJ they just might shoot you. I saw kids who were arrested stoned on the beaches of Mexico, thrown in jail, had their hair shaved with sheep shears and the cop played Russian roulette with their pistol pointed at their head.
In England drugs were everywhere. In central London you would go into a public washroom and there would be 10 guys shooting up with heroine. A spotter would follow you out to make sure you didn't go to the cops. Manila, Istanbul, Singapore , North Africa and many places lock you up for ever. They are just a few places that it would cost a small fortune to get an American/Canadian out of the country. How dumb are these kids to put their lives in jeopardy .
In North Africa one guy told me they sold him drugs and a suitcase with stash pockets to get through customs. The customs saw the brief case and arrested him like the countless others before him. I met a kid in Nuevo Laredo Mexico who had been arrested, robbed, hair cut off and kept 2 months in a jail with no roof and fed corn mash until they let him go. He had to hitch hike to the border and a friend gave him a coat and some food. He was a mess. A friend of my brother, son of a doctor got arrested sleeping on a beach, He was stoned. They robbed him , threw him in jail, cut his hair off. they threatened to kill him every day. Eventually they gave him a ticket home.
Personally I never had a talk per say with my 4 kids. I never had to. They were watched carefully as to who they could hand around with, no parties until SR year in HS. You could tell they weren't into drugs or drinking by how they acted and what they said about people that used drugs and alcohol. We also talked openly about events where drug users got into problems. One of my son's friends who was a top athlete was beat within an inch of his life at a party. He was a drug and alcohol user. He was jumped after getting into an argument. He was left in a ditch, almost lost an eye and had some brain damage.
I drank but only when it was legal. Mostly at bars,pubs and night clubs. When we had kids we stopped totally. We never smoked.

Bobblehead, if you don't mind me asking what do you do for a living?

By the way the drug guys are winning the war right now in Mexico as much as I hate to say that.

Not a problem ? I have done many things. I get bored easy. I owned and operated an import business. I traveled all over the world buying and selling goods. Started in Mexico, then the Orient. Imported mainly decor items and crafts. Had 4 retail stores .
I also managed a truss division of a lumber company, accountant, computer consultant. Imported computers from San Jose CA and sold them to Doctors and Lawyers until the margins dried up. The last 22 years I have settled down and was a Real Estate agent in residential and commercial. Presently I am a kept man. I am semi retired. My wife is 10 years younger and she still wants to work. I do to but my eye site is not very good due to diabetes.

I am sure I missed something.