EVERYONE SHOULD CARE ABOUT KIDS ABUSING DRUGS

I was encouraged to see the Post-Gazette portraying teen drug addiction as
an illness rather than as a crime ("Heroin's Hold," March 24). Heroin users
are generally viewed as people living in the alleys of big cities, rather
than as young teens from supportive homes in suburbia. This article helps
demonstrate just how far these problems reach.

The last thing a parent dealing with a teen on drugs needs is to be
negatively judged by the community. Instead, we need to view drug abuse as
a communitywide problem that hurts us all; these kids and their parents
deserve our community support.

No parent thinks his or her child will become a drug addict. Rather than
reading this article and being glad this wasn't their child using drugs,
parents should wonder if this is or could be their child.

I hope parents take the time to sit down and specifically discuss articles
like these with their children. Teen-agers need to know their caring
parents watch their actions closely and will ask them intrusive questions.
Parental involvement plays a significant role in keeping kids off drugs and
in helping already addicted teens get their lives back on track.

I applaud these teens' parents for stepping in and making the tough
decisions that will help their children overcome drug abuse.

STACY STEINFELD Shadyside