TEENS' EXCUSES FOR DRUGS AND BOOZE ARE LAME-BRAINED

The Editor,

Re: "Bored forgotten teens turning to drugs and booze," the Now letters,
July 16.

Of all the lame-brained excuses for drinking and drugs I've ever
heard, the letter from the two girls saying they have to drink and do
drugs because there's nothing to do takes the cake!

I've never heard of anyone dying from boredom, but I've known a lot of
teenagers who have died because they used assorted excuses for doing
illegal things for something to do. My son lost several of his chums
and schoolmates with that same excuse, that "we have to drink because
we're bored." If they didn't get killed in an accident, they had to
live with the after-effects of crippling themselves or someone else,
and ruining their lives and their families, too.

I'm so tired of listening to excuses like theirs and others who use
cigarettes, food, alcohol or drugs to justify their detrimental
behaviour. We are so lucky in this country to have what we have, and
I'd like to suggest that these two young ladies, who have the
intelligence to write that letter, also have the wherewithal to do
something smart instead of doing something dumb like drugs and booze.

I can say these things because I speak from being on the receiving end
of watching many people being addicted to something. Many of them have
died of cancer, heart disease, alcoholism and drug abuse. It hurts to
lose your friends and loved ones that way. So quit using such lame
excuses for spoiling your life. You only live once and it's soon over!

Barb Kirkpatrick

Surrey