Vicki, my daughter will be at one of two choices of Florida state colleges this year. While I don't fear that she is 'the type' do try to fit in here at home where her STRONG stance on these issues prevail, I'm scared. I fear that she's spoiled to being popular here, in her home town. I would never flat out tell her this because she's made it clear that I offend her when I even think that she'd do the typical/normal teen things.

But, aren't those the targets? The ones that don't or haven't lived on the edge? I saw this Jane Pauly show and just thanked God. I wasn't thankiing Him because my daughter or son had never tried drugs. My daughter admitted that in her freshie year, some friends had some and she tried it. She explained the experience and decided from there that it wasn't for he. I thanked Him for that.

I especially thanked Him after this JP show. I recalled my country raised self being tossed into a city world where 'weed' was the 'in' thing. I tried it too and thought it would never ever go away. Once it did, I shared with anyone that would listen that it was not for everyone. LOL! What a trip. I like control toooo much for that.

However, this could have been much worse cause see, I'd let my 'freshie' daughter drive to school that day she admitted trying it. She casually spoke of her experience, along with another friend/unauthorized passenger, of that trial drug day. She said that after they'd finished, everyone in the car (also unauthorized by me) told her that she was driving too slow.

I wasn't critical of her/their experience since they are seniors now divulging the truth. I just listened as a parent that had thanked God that 'mine' had NEVER done that.

When she told me how many other passengers had been in the car, despite the ONE I'd authorized, my insides flipped at what could've happened, like so many other stories we hear about. Bless their little souls too. Many were just experimenting, like my own child. Many never got the opp to tell me that they understood 'why' not to do drugs.

Now that high school peer pressure is over, I really fear what's out there; GROWN UP PEER PRESSURE. While I'd like to believe that her experience, however mild it was, was a lesson, it may well be a curse since she didn't experience what really could have happened.

Just for the record, those very students that experimented with drugs that 'freshie' influential day, have gone on to have a baby, one jailed, and one dropped out because they continued. One was safe at home telling her story long side my daughter.

This epidemic is sooo sad! I recall trying to 'fit in' and understood where she was coming from in the 'circulation' of pressure.

What do we do when we've said, shown and prayed? I guess we just keep praying and thanking Him when we find out without a tragic story behind it.

Sugaree