I only had a few drinks when I was at my friend's house so I knew I would be okay to drive home. I lived a few blocks away and even though she told me I should walk or even spend the night, I thought that was silly since I didn't feel drunk. I wish I would have listened to her now because I was only a few houses from mine when I saw the police car behind me. I had to go through all the embarrassing tests before they charged me with DUI. I am just thankful that the judge only had me take an alcohol awareness class a few weeks later. He approved an online class because I live in a small town in Idaho and it would take me a long time to drive to the closest classroom.  This way I wouldn't have to miss any work.  I actually learned a lot about alcohol that I didn't know before, and it completely changed who I was. I did lose some friends over it, but I am hoping that I at least planted some seeds in their minds about the dangers of addiction and abuse.

When I was ordered to take a 24 hour (level 3) drug and alcohol awareness class, I was really upset. I hadn't even been the one drinking but because I was the only one over 21 in the car, I was in trouble as well. The judge understood what I was saying, but he told me that he wanted me to have a deeper respect for what alcohol can do to a person. I knew full well what alcohol could do, but I kept my mouth shut. I went ahead and took the classes and they were not what I was expecting at all. I actually found myself pretty interested in a lot of what was taught, and I could tell that my attitude was shifting a good bit. I thought the judge was being dumb, to be honest. It turns out that I was the dumb one, but I have taken a U-turn so I can go in the other direction now.

When my 18 year old son was charged with underage drinking along with a few of his friends, they thought it was the end of the world. I know we weren't too happy with him, and the parents of the other boys involved felt the same way. We did support them though since we knew that boys will be boys, and we had done some pretty stupid things when we were their age too. I know we were all thankful when the judge decided to delay their sentencing. He said that if they completed 16 hour level 2 alcohol awareness classes, then he would dismiss the case. He also made it a stipulation that the boys had to pay for it themselves. He knew where to hurt them, but they were eager to do it since it meant they would no longer face charges. They all learned a good bit from the classes too. They learned the risks of abuse as well as how much it can cost a person who abuses alcohol. They also learned the health risks of alcoholism. They were different boys by the time they were done with those classes.

Last month my 17-year-old son was hanging out with some other kids after a football game and they got caught with alcohol. All of the kids had to go to court and the judge was very serious about the situation. The kids received Minor in Possession infractions and were threatened with jail time if they were caught with alcohol again. My son's license was suspended and he has to pay a huge fine. The whole process was pretty scary for both of us. My son has a job and relies on his car to get to work. We met with a court officer who said that he could get his license back early, for limited uses if he completed a class. So we searched for an alcohol awareness class on the Internet that the court would approve. We found a class on line for him that will meet the necessary requirements and get him back on the road. Hopefully he will learn something as well!

Teaching children at early ages about drugs can help to ensure that the child will make an educated and informed decision when he is confronted with the situation at school.  Parents need to be aware that even though they are doing their best to raise level-headed kids, other people who live in their neighborhoods might make these illegal substances available to their children.  This is why many schools have included alcohol and drug education in their curriculums. The goal and objective of these curriculums is to create an environment that is safe and where they can have all their questions answered accurately and effectively. Different techniques and strategies are employed in order to reach these goals. These strategies include having a local police officer come in to conduct a special classroom seminar. Another effective way is to have the children take online alcohol and drug awareness in their own homes.  All they need is a computer with web-access and they will receive a quality education that teaches what these substances do to your body and your life and how to  have self-confidence when dealing with peer pressure.