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Little did I know that my son had already become addicted to alcohol before college graduation, and that he had experimented with many other drugs as well. Toren had been a strong student, treated me well, and seemed bound for success.  My ignorance of his abuse set me up for a fat education. 

In as little time as one year after college graduation, Toren’s whole future blew up before my eyes.  I had to look at what had happened. It forced me to examine how we’d raised him, and what he had been doing while I thought he was a successful student in high school and college. I had to sort out how our family could carry on in a world that seemed to swirl around alcohol.

This is tough to do for a parent, to look at how you’ve nurtured your kid, to figure out what would have helped prevent a tragic situation. The turmoil of Toren's addiction brought about an examination not only of my son and my parenting, but information about the power of this addictive drug and its pervasive use in our society. How can parents communicate with kids who see alcohol as fun and a rite of passage? What is the difference between U.S. kids' drinking habits and their contemporaries around the world? How can parents network with colleges if concerned about a student's risky drinking? How does drinking alcohol affect adolescents differently than adults?  What are the trends with kids’ drinking today and why do many of them choose to drink such huge quantities? What roles are we parents modeling for our kids when they see us drinking alcohol at social functions? These are all questions I discuss as I examine our youth alcohol culture.

No matter how a parent feels about drinking, it is imperative to learn about alcohol and the way kids are using it today. Alcohol is the most glamorous and preferred drug in our culture, for both youth and their parents. My story could be your story.