Hi SoCalGirl,
well, my idea of how to deal with this specific problem would be: get the parents to educate their children to become more responsible.
To give an example: when I was, say, 10 or twelve, I was first allowed to try beer and cigarettes at home - I hated it! It tasted awful at that time so I never became a smoker (I now have a cigar once in a while) and never a big drinker. Later, I discovered that beer or wine, once in a while, can be very tasteful and enjoyable.
My pont is: because of the opportunity and freedom at home, I didn't have to go out and experience nicotine and alcohol under severe external pressure (like from class-mates: you are so uncool if you don't smoke, drink whatsoever) and that helped me develop the self-esteem to say "no".....
So maybe the parents should be educated first.... maybe...
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