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Eight years ago the SF Chronicle asked Marsha Rosenbaum, DPA director of the Safety First Project, to write a letter about drugs to her son Johnny, who was then entering high school. That letter has now been translated into at least a dozen languages, adopted by the million-member California State PTA, and provided talking points for parents all over the world.Â* Now, as Johnny graduates from college, he has responded to his mother's admonitions in the following letter.

Dear Mom,

It has been eight years since I entered high school on the heels of your famous advice about drugs:Â* "Johnny - be skeptical and, most of all, be safe."Â* Although I'd like to tell you that I never needed your advice because I never encountered drugs, I'd prefer to be as honest with you as you have been with me. Â*

Just as you predicted, I spent high school and college navigating a highly experimental teenage drug culture.Â* While some of the substances that I encountered were illegal, like marijuana, cocaine, and Ecstasy, many were not, like alcohol, cigarettes, and Ritalin.Â*Â* Because you explained that a drug's legality does not mean that it is better or worse for me, I approached every substance with skepticism, moderation and common sense.

Our household mantra of 'safety first' guided me through a maze of difficult decisions, particularly in college where alcohol use and abuse is widespread.Â*Â* Because you didn't lie or exaggerate the risks of drug use, I took your warnings seriously.Â* I always made plans for sober transportation; I refused to leave friends alone if they were highly intoxicated; and I was never afraid to call home if I found myself in a dangerous situation. Â*

Of course you advised me not to use drugs, but as an expert in the field, you knew that I was likely to experiment.Â* Most parents panic in response to this likelihood, but you and Dad remained levelheaded:Â* You didn't impose rigid rules that were bound to be broken, and you didn't bombard me with transparent scare tactics.Â* Instead you encouraged me to think critically and carefully about drug use.Â* When I inquired, you armed me with truthful, scientifically based information from which I could make my own decisions.Â*Â* This was excellent practice for adulthood, and we built a loving relationship based on trust and truth.

Mom, your work does so much more than teach parents how to talk to their kids about drugs; your work keeps parents and kids communicating at a time when most kids shut their parents out.Â* Our relationship is a perfect example.Â* For never ceasing to communicate with me, even when I tried to shut the door on you, and for tirelessly keeping me, my sisters, and so many other kids safe, thank you.

Love,

Johnnyhttp://www.nooked.com/news/itemtrack...0f06f6813d5067

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