DEAR ABBY: I am a health teacher in a middle school. Part of the curriculum calls for the students to learn about the dangers of substance abuse. I asked my 13-year-old students if their parents had talked with them about drugs. To my surprise, most of the students volunteered that their parents had not shared their views on drug abuse. They left that to the health teacher: Me!
I decided to tell my students this: "I will use short words and sentences that we all understand. Do not try drugs. Do not start them. If you think that no one cares about you, you are wrong. I care about you. I think about all of you every day and worry about your future. I will listen to you. I don't care what your hair looks like. I don't care if you have a pierced nose. I care about you as a person. Drugs will destroy your future. I, for one, want you to have a great one."
Abby, I wish parents understood that their children need to hear this message directly from them -- not from me. -- HEALTH TEACHER IN MASSACHUSETTS
DEAR HEALTH TEACHER: You're right. And if parents are at a loss for words, they should save your letter and read your heartfelt plea to their children. It's one of the most important messages they can convey, because silence implies indifference.