Do friends let friends drive drunk? Do they let them drive drunk if they have their little children in the front seat of their vehicle?

Sometimes questions need to be restated to get a clearer picture of what you are dealing with. If you have a friend that is a parent or guardian of children, and that friend abuses drugs, that friend abuses those children. Now I am not saying that friend necessarily molests or physically abuses those children, but I am saying unequivocally that your friend neglects those children and diverts financial assets necessary to care for those children in order to buy his or her poison of choice. Having counseled more parents than I can count, I am telling you that this is not theory, this is fact.

If your friend's poison of choice is methamphetamine and they "cook" their own supply in the presence of those children, the children are being poisoned merely by being in close proximity to the fumes generated to the "cooking" process. The actual home itself will become toxic from absorbing the chemicals released in the "cooking" process. The brain damage can be catastrophic.

Addiction is beyond comprehension. We can say the word and we can spell the word, but if you haven't dealt with addicts you don't have any idea what addiction means. You cannot go over to your friend's house and have a nice conversation asking them to quit using drugs and have ANY HOPE of them changing their lifestyle.

Dopamine is the hormone released by the brain that allows us to enjoy a feeling of wellbeing. The most the human body is capable of releasing at one time is 150-200 mgs during sexual orgasm. One hit of methamphetamine releases 1200 mgs. To say it another way, one hit gives the body 6 times more of the "feel good" hormone than the body is capable of releasing at one time. Do you really think you are going to be able just to ask your friend to quit? If you do, you are lying to yourself.

The interesting thing about the original question is that unless you really think about it, subconsciously you may react as if they question only addresses one individual; the drug abuser. It doesn't. It addresses you. What will you do if your friend is a drug abuser and the parent or guardian of children?

The next time you look into the eyes of those little children, grab a mirror and ask yourself, "Who am I?. What do I stand for? Do I stand for anything? Am I the gutless wonder that will knowingly stand by while this child is neglected at the least, and maybe molested, physically abused, and even poisoned unintentionally by my friend or their "druggie friends"? Or am I the man or woman who will do what they know to be right?"

That is really all this question is about. Will you do what you know to be right? Tonight there may be innocent children wondering when their nightmare will end not knowing that you are the one that can stop it.

But you do. You know. Ah yes, but you can forget about those children, tell yourself that they will probably be "ok" and go to bed tonight in your nice little home knowing that your children are happy and safe and sound. But the children in your friend's house..........

Will you do what you know to be right? On behalf of the children that you know are in danger, I am begging you to grow up, stand up, and speak up. If your friend is able to beat their drug problem they will thank you. If they don't you can sleep in peace knowing that you did the right thing. That alone should be reward enough.

Please. Not one more night.

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