PARENTS FALL SHORT

Dear Abby:

I am a health teacher in a middle school. Part of the curriculum calls for
the students to learn about the dangers of substance abuse. I asked my
13-year-old students if their parents had talked with them about drugs. To
my surprise, most of the students volunteered that their parents had not
shared their views on drug abuse. They left that to the health teacher: Me!

I decided to tell my students this: "I will use short words and sentences
that we all understand. Do not try drugs. Do not start them. If you think
that no one cares about you, you are wrong. I care about you. I think about
all of you every day and worry about your future. I will listen to you. I
don't care what your hair looks like. I don't care if you have a pierced
nose. I care about you as a person. Drugs will destroy your future. I, for
one, want you to have a great one."

Abby, I wish parents understood that their children need to hear this
message directly from them - not from me.

- - Health Teacher in Massachusetts

Dear Health Teacher:

You're right. And if parents are at a loss for words, they should save your
letter and read your heartfelt plea to their children. It's one of the most
important messages they can convey, because silence implies indifference