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Take it from a clubbing veteran, if you trust your child to go out to a party and you don't know the kids there, or the parents, or any of the important details, your child has a susceptibility to using club drugs. On the other hand, my parents knew all that and I still managed to get into things I shouldn't have been into. This article may label me a nark, or a sell out, but from the keyboard of an experienced recovered addict to your eyes here are the things I believe my parents could have done to make the situation different.

1. Talking. Neither of my parents ever sat down and talked to me about drug use, sure I heard it at the DARE rallies at school all the time, but nothing from my own parents, other than drugs are bad. Some may think that this makes them bad parents, but it doesn't. They simply trusted me, and knew I was a good kid. Had I know a little more about my parents position on drug use, I truly believe I would have thought more before acting. That last thing I wanted to do was disappoint them
2. Recognize your child's strengths and weaknesses from all points. This mean socially, physically, mentally. ALL OF THEM. It is important to discover how strongly your child feels about their position on certain issues. Drugs is one of them. Are they straight edge? Do they avoid taking aspirin and OTC drugs? Do they SAY drugs are bad and they will stay away from them, but occasionally try to make a sympathetic argument for someone who was caught with them? These are important observations that sometimes slip our minds.
3. Know your child's friends and listen to them when they talk. Does your teen often talk about their friends? If not encourage them to, and get to know the most important people in your child's life. Listen to their friends, what subjects do they talk about when they come over?
4. Know that Teens are teens and they are going to do what they want when they want if they think that they can get away with it, good or bad. I was never a bad kid, I always did what I was told, but my parents underestimated my sneakiness, and ignored my cries for more responsibility, so I took things into my own hands and GAVE myself more adult choices to make. The problem with this is that I was not prepared to make those choices and I did poorly. Let your teens make more and more important decisions; if you shelter them from the big bad world they won't know how to handle real situations when the time comes. We all wish they could be innocent forever, but they can't,

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