DRUG DEATHS SHOW NEED TO TALK TO KIDS

It's tough work being a parent these days =AD not
that it's ever been a cake walk =AD with the
continuing, relatively modern scourge of deadly
street drugs being a particularly terrifying
aspect of raising kids, especially teenagers.

Teens, who in this way can be compared to
toddlers, are at one of those dangerously
transitional phases of life where they're
exploring new things without always having the
necessary judgment to keep themselves safe.

While toddlers normally just get the odd bump or
bruise, teenagers can die from what they don't know.

The rising body count of young people =AD
16-year-old Langley resident Kato Burgess being
the latest victim =AD who've died from taking
tainted ecstasy pills is the latest horror.

Five ecstasy-linked deaths have been recorded in
B.C. in the past six months, but there have been
99 in the past six years. With ecstasy and other
drugs that are manufactured by criminals in
clandestine labs, drug users have no guarantee of
the purity or strength of the dose. Every time
someone takes the drug they are risking death.

We need to stop the carnage. Parents and other
adults involved with teenagers and young adults
need to sit down with them and discuss the issue.
Don't assume they=92re not involved in drugs. The life you save might be t
heirs.