I hope I don't get turned into a leaper for this.......But here it goes...

[Tiana_Ecarias]

I was watching the news tonight, and one of the stories was of a car wreck that happened the other night, a group of high school kids coming home from a party that had alcohol at it. The driver of the car was drunk, hell, every one in the car was drunk. They hit a telephone post and the driver and the person in the passenger seat in the front were both killed.

Now this isn't so unusual, but what got me the most, was the girl they interveiwed, as she tearfully explained she didn't know what had happened, or that her friend was driving drunk, if she ahd knownb, she would of stayed behind.

In a flash, I was taken back to when I was 13 years old, saying the same thing to a cop at the scene of an accident that made me lose my best friend in the world, and soon after, the only other person who stook up for me and cared.

I can't stand it when people drink and drive, and it scares the hell out of me. Only because I know all to well the price that comes from it. And all to often that price isn't payed by ther person who was driving drunk. In our accident, the only casualty was my best friend, the other car only had minor injuries.

I was a drinker from age 11, till I turned 17, when I became friends with my husband and a few of his friends. Before that, I went to parties with a few kids who lived near by and got drunk almost every weekend, and stayed at their house. Did my parents know? Honestly, I think they did, but didn't want to admit that their baby was drinking and had problems, so they ignored it.

I'm not sure why I'm posting this, except perhap to get my story out, to let people know that drinking happens to anyone, and everyone, and that yes, you will lose some one you care about when you get in a car with a drunk and let the drunk drive.

From what I've seen in the few months that I have been here, you all are understanding, and don't pass judgement, I hope it stands true to this.

Tiana_Ecarias

[st0rm]

here in sweden u dont get a license untill ur 18 so drunk driving amog young pll is not much of a problem.... But ppl drink here... i mean drink alot, some of my freinds consumes about two bottles (75) of vodka a week and thats quite much for a 16 or 17 year old kid... cannabis is pretty lagre here too, i know at least 4 ppl who grows it in their closets..... Btw. I rarely drink...

[SerenityMoon]

*gives a huge hug to Tiana*
i can somewhat relate. while i've never had someone close to me die, i have been in a situation involving drunk driving.
Back when i was 14 and in ninth grade, we lived in military housing in North Carolina. It was in a horrible neighborhood, and the school was so bad that barbed wire surrounded it. My old brother got caught up "the wrong crowd" and turned to drugs and drinking. My family and i were awoken in the middle of the night one night by a loud pounding on our door. It was mike's friend, frantically yelling that they'd had an accident. It turned out they had been out drinking, turned a curb too fast, and the car flipped into a field over and over. Luckily, nobody was killed. They were the fortunate ones. Since then my brother cleaned up, went to military school, and is now very successful.
Drunk driving angers the hell out of me too. It's senseless, it's stupid, and it happens way too often. My brother and his friends got a chance to have a wake up call. People like the ones in the article, or Tiana's best friend, did not. I just hope that if anyone on this board considers driving while even REMOTELY intoxicated, that they will consider what has been said here.
I think what amazes me most is that cigarettes are becoming so heavily controlled and regulated, but yet alcohol is so damn easy to get...

[Tiana_Ecarias]

Cannabis? Is that the european word for Marajuana? I know quite a few people out both smoke pot and grow it, but I can't smoke anything, so I never have.

As for the drinking and driving, I believeEurope has stricter rules, wish I wish America would get, and then enforce....

Tiana_Ecarias

[Tiana_Ecarias]

*hugs Serenity Moon back* Thank you hon, and it's not always the kids who drink and drive fault. It is that they choose to drink, and then drive, but they also never do anything afterwards.

I have seen so many cases that a drunk driver has hit and killed somebody, and it's their 5th or 6th offense involving alcohol!!!!

There's nothing there for some one who survives and doesn't take the call to wake up to make them wake up afterwards. They'll figure "I got away with it this time, I'm alive, I'll be ok next time," and the next time might be their last.

That's the other thing that frustrates me. Nothing concrete is done to those who kill when they've been drinking and then drive a vehicle....

Ok, I better stop preaching before I end up on a soap box, everyone has heard the speel before, just with different words.

Tiana_Ecarias

[SerenityMoon]

i believe cannabis is a drug itself isn't it? i may be wrong.
and it's not really that the laws in europe are more strict, it's that they know how to keep it safe. for example: in some parts of europe, they have drug houses where addicts can do their thing, and then sleep there so they don't harm anyone or themselves. smart? i think it is. i wish a lot of our thinking was like that in europe.
no problem, tiana. but i think that teens make their own choices, and while peer pressure IS a huge huge factor, it all comes down to your choice. i've had the pressure and the chance many a time to get drunk, and only took it once,and that was before i even COULD drive.

[Tiana_Ecarias]

I should say that some countries in Europe are more strict...... Not all over Europe. In one country, I believe it is Germany, but I'm not certain, if you kill some one while driving, while intoxicated or not, you lose your license for life, and you serve jail time. Needless to say, the death rate in car accidents is slightly lower.

And, perhaps you are right, it just seems like I've heard pot called cannabis, but maybe I'm getting stuff mixed up......

One thing I find interesting, the movie industry is thinking about creating a rating for movies that will tell the people, before they watch it, that smoking and alcohol are used in the movie. I find it kind of funny, and yet perhaps, appropiate.

Tiana_Ecarias

[st0rm]

ive got a friend who got some great super skunk hybrids and a couple of nice durban poison plants... he makes alot of extra money... getting drunk or high is a great way to avoid dealing with problems.... cannabis is the species name for all the plants that we know as marajuana, like cannabis sativa... hash is cannabis extract with stuff like asphalt and rubber in.. hash is a "heavier" drug then regular cannabis (from my experience anyway)..

[Tiana_Ecarias]

Avoiding dealing with problems... YEah that is true, but with me, it wasn't, Idrank so I wouldn't think about all the shit that was going on that stung worse then a thousand wasps stinging me in the butt.

And it did work, for a while, and then the drinking made it worse, cause I remembered all the shit that happened that day before I got a drink. Never gotten high, well, did once, and that's when I found out that I was allergic to pot....

What's ironic aboput that, is that I wasn't smoking it, my friends were, and I got high(and severely sick) off of the smoke.

Anyways, that's what I thought.. cannabis IS another word for pot, and the other relatives for pot.

Tiana_Ecarias

[st0rm]

if ur allergic to the some u could make a tea of the buds and the seeds (if u crush them first).... hmmm... not that i use cannabis but i hag out with a lot of small dealers and other pll like that, so i learn alot of stuff like this...

[Tiana_Ecarias]

LOL, I can't have it that way either(yes, i have tried it). I had an even worse reaction then when it was smoke.

I'm just one of those few who can't touch the stuff, wich is fine by me. Yes, I hang around a lo9t of people who both smoke and deal with pot, so they've had me try it a couple of different ways... *gag*

BTW, who cares who uses it or not? It's their, not mine, and I won't judge them by it.

Tiana_Ecarias

[st0rm]

:D hehe...

[Tiana_Ecarias]

You laughing at me now, st0rm? Good, I'm glad I can still make SOMEBODY laugh.

:D

Tiana_Ecarias

[st0rm]

:) its great to be able to laugh at someone :D

[Tiana_Ecarias]

Some one once said, "that every one needs a jester, to make them smile, and when they do, they make both the Jester's day, and their own day seems a little bit better."

Well, I'm the Jester, and, besides, you aren't laughing at me, you're laughing for me... ;)

But, I'm the Jester for everybody, so don't get to attatched to me hon. :D

Tiana_Ecarias

[st0rm]

=) great quote... i like it... it sure is the jesters day today

[Tiana_Ecarias]

Are you implying that I have made you laugh a lot today? Well, tonight, but that's beside's the point... ;)

Thanks, my best friend who died used to say that a lot, and he was a jester and a half.... :) :(

Tiana_Ecarias

[st0rm]

:( im not implying anything :) besides its only morning for me

[Tiana_Ecarias]

hehe, It's morning for me to, 1:30am, for me..... You know, we kinda have gotten off the original subject....

For those who read it after us, they'll proably laugh at teh train of thought we pursued. Oh well, it's ok if they do.. *grin*

Tiana_Ecarias

[st0rm]

its 10:30 here... im at class listening to something about diffrent cords for differnt things, did u know that in europe a rubber cable for movable objects is called A05BB-F :) and the preferd cable for auto shops is H07RN-F :D

[Illuminatus]

Jesus H Christ on a Crutch, who starts drinking at age 11? I think I was watching the thundercats and going to cub scout meetings.
Even all my hardcore alcoholics friends in pennsylvania didn't start until 13/14.

[cherrywind]

Originally posted by SerenityMoon
i believe cannabis is a drug itself isn't it?
Cannabis is the actual name of the plant, marijuana, hashish, etc. come different parts of it.

My worst fear (besides needles, heh) is dying or having somebody I know die in a car crash, so I've always been incredibly scared of driving while under the influence of any drug. If I'm at a party, I ask whoever is driving me home if they're drunk, when was the last time they drank, etc.
I'm sure I annoy the hell out of all my friends, but I'd rather keep me and them alive.

[Saphra]

Tiana,
I work at a hospital and on a floor with lots of drunk drivers end up the wonderful world of Orthopedics (that in english is broken bones, hip replacements etc.) And not to long ago we had a accident like that it was prom night and the car full of kids hit a telephone pole, and well the driver was killed but the rest of the passengers were in shock and the other girl (the one that was in the passenger seat) denied everything, and showed no remorse (might have been the shock) but anywho, I have seen a lot of lives changed from drunk driving and (I'm am on a soapbox here) anyone who gets into a car after drinking is stupid and needs to go into the hospital to see what happens to the people in the other vehicle that was hit. It's not a pretty site. well anyway I am now the one that is probably a leper (and this is my first day here!!!) Well, BB n stuff. ~Saphra

[SerenityMoon]

thanks, cherrywind! ^_^
isn't it sad that some start at age 11? hell, i was playing with my barbies at the time...

[greenwitch]

tianna, i know exactly what you mean.

four years ago i lost my sister in a car accident. her best friend was more than a little tipsy, but she was so good at acting, that my sister couldn't tell.

the car that my sister was in was literally run over by a semi-truck, and afterwards made the car about knee high to someone who is 5 foot 3 inches tall.

i just wanted to tell my story as well, and let you know, that no matter what age people are(14) we still feel the same amount of pain.

so *HUGS* to you, and thanks for posting.

love and brightest of blessings,

Adra

[Garnet]

Hugs to Tiana & Greenwitch ('cause you can never have too many)
When I was in high school, two of the boys in my grade died in a car accident, & the third was too injured to return to school until the next semester. They were drinking, too, & the survivor claimed that they were drinking what was then called 'near beer' (It'd be called 'lite' now, I guess) & thought it wouldn't make them drunk the way 'real' beer would. Trouble is, it made them just as dead as if they drank real beer.
I think part of the reason that young people find drinking so attractive is because it is forbidden.
When I was growing up, drinking was no big deal at my house. I am not saying that it was condoned, it was just treated differently than at the homes of my school mates. When my parents had wine with dinner, there was always (teeny) glasses for us kids. If my dad or grandpa had a beer, we were allowed a sip just so we knew what it would tast like. At every family get-together, my uncle would haul out a blender & a big tub of ice cream to make those thick, sweet drinks, like pink ladies (you'll go into insulin shock before you get drunk on those).
When I was a teen & my friends were sneaking to beachers (drinking parties in local parks) & getting drunk & getting in fender benders (& making their parents insist they didn't know their kids drank), I never went along. I didn't need to sneak around because I could watch the game & have a beer at home with dad. I had no interest in sneaking around to drink as if it was some big thrill because it wasn't.
I'm not saying what my parents did was okay, but my sister & brothers & I have never been arrested for drunk driving, or been in accidents, or have drinking problems. If I buy a case of beer, it lasts for months at my house.
Maybe if more parents treated drinking as if it were no big thing instead of as 'the keys to adulthood' things would be different for more kids.

[SerenityMoon]

i completely agree, Garnet. my family is very similar. we were allowed to taste wine, have a small screw driver (orange juice and vodka) during special occasions or parties, taste dad's beer, etc. i never saw my parents drunk in front of us children, and my parents made sure we never got drunk in front of them, and for the past two or three years i've been allowed to reach into the fridge during get-togethers and drink a wine cooler or a mike's hard(mmm mike's hard lemonade....). I NEVER drink someplace that isn't home or isn't walking distance from home. it wasn't a forbidden thing. so why did my brother do it? peer pressure, and the fact that the school cared so little about its students that he began to care so little about himself. but my other brother and i turned out fine.

[Tiana_Ecarias]

Ironically enough, my dad thought alcohol was no big deal, he always let me have sips of his beer when ever he had one, and at family get togethers, well, the kids always had sips of thiere parents drinks, it was never a big deal.

I was into barbies at that age, but soon out grew it to, and drank because i wanted to, thought it would help. It didn't but, hell, I sure thought it did at teh time...

*hugs Greenwitch* You're welcome hon, and I'm sorry about your sister.

And to Saphra *HUGS* You aren't a leper, saying what you think won't turn you into one here, and I totally agree with you.

*Hugs to everyone else*

Triasada Metta Mecia(Is truly among friends and peers)

Tiana_Ecarias

[shnen]

I was the same way, my dad would pay me to drink a glass of beer when I was 3...

I never started drinking drinking til I was 13. But all the same, I never drank and drove, in fact I lived on my own at a young age, and if I had people over I took their keys at the door and hid them in my room, where noone was allowed. and they had to prove to me they were ok to drive, but in most cases, even sober, I had a pull out couch and lots of blankets for them to stay over... and their parents were greatful as well... :)


I also did work for MADD Canada, it was so sad anytime you heard about another young person dying, and talking to the people in the community was hard.