What do you think should be done about food poverty?

Do you really think so, jingle? Well, there you go.....25 years of working in the care profession down the drain. I really do wish I'd asked your advice before I embarked on it.

How do you know that when?

It's the pantomime season - I'll join in. Oh no they weren't talking cobblers Marelli. The were talking from a non judgemental, informed position.

That person was talking cobblers Marelli.

I was saying just what I said I am64. The parents are comfortably off and the kids lack for nothing materially. But the parents are not inclined to put effort into their parenting.

My children and grandchildren are the only things I am self-satisfied about.

In my line of work, we had training about substance abuse. The person who delivered the training, said that by the time an adult had reached their 40's there was a very good chance that they may have dabbled in some form of drug-taking.

If any of our generation think they can be absolutely certain that their children, in their youth, didn't experiment with drugs, there's a very good chance that they are deluded.

"a good few of the kids at the secondary school where my daughter teaches, smoke weed. They have comfortably off and un-interested parents. Not saying that is always the case". What are you saying then ? Your comment struck me as very judgemental and rather self satisfied.

Weed is so commonly used amongst teenagers, as is alcohol. Not saying that's right, or a good thing, it is simply a fact. The case in the news this week of the much loved 16 yr old boy, who kissed his mum, went off to a party/rave, took ecstasy and promptly died should be a lesson to us all. It's to easy to rush to judgement, criticise parents, but these things can happen to any of us, at any time. We should count our blessings, and judge a little less.

Ah-ah! Don't agree.

None of us really know our children; we're kidding ourselves if we think we are .

I have to disagree. I'm really sorry if you find that offensive. I just know my children.

A good few of the kids at the secondary school where my daughter teaches, smoke weed. They have comfortably off and un-interested parents. Not saying that is always the case.

I do not want to discuss personal experiences of any posters really.

Sometimes jingl you can be incredibly offensive. Drugs may or may not ever touch your family, but you can actually have no idea whether they will or not. Wishing won't make it so.

I've been 'lucky' that way too Marelli

jingle, god -(or whatever)- knows we all might feel as you do. So do many of the mothers and grandmothers whose poor DC's and DGC's resort to drug-taking. Not many go out and score heroin straight away. At our local school, first-year pupils were found to have bought cannabis from a dealer at the school gates. I would imagine that they may have had good parents and grandparents too.

nightowl, like you, I do try to understand why people take illegal drugs. Some people take what they believe are 'legal highs'. Doing this led to my son's friend's wife dying, leaving a small baby.
I've never judged people for taking drugs. Maybe I've been lucky enough to see what this can do to people. I say 'lucky' because it has allowed me not to judge them, just to hate with a passion the dealers who sell them .

It won't touch my family. Not while I live and breathe. And I am pretty sure that it won't after I'm gone. I am indeed fortunate. My grandchildren have very good parents.

Can I say it any more clearly. I hate everything about illegal drugs. I have never bought or used them in my life. I TRY to understand why people feel a need to use them.

Heroin is not a "very good way" to numb pain. Sooner or later it will numb life's breath!

I'm not defending heroin. Read my post. I'm saying people describe it as a good way to numb emotional pain. Clear and simple.

Obviously that should say parents.

No! You can't possibly say anything defensive about taking heroin! Sorry, but that's just silly. If you stood by and let a suicidal son or daughter follow that path, you would probably hasten their death.

And to say that loving patents don't have children who turn to drugs or alcohol is utterly ridiculous. I hope for your sake this never touches your family.

I can't possibly walk in everyone's shoes. Can you? Who can? Most of us have to rely on common sense and instinct.

jingl prescription medication doesn't work for everyone. Whereas I'm told that heroin is a very good way to numb emotional pain. I'm not condoning it; I hate everything about drugs but I do understand why people sometimes turn to them.

I haven't taken illegal drugs either, nor have I ever bought them. I would know exactly where to get them. Its incredibly easy.

The love has to be tempered by common sense. And expressed through time and effort being given to a child.