"That's just the way it is." Great answer and excuse. This is not about speeding (two tickets as a teenager) or running lights ( not with the red light cameras in force). This is about teens being too young to make such life altering decisions. Having a parent supervise underaged drinking is even worse. No respect for the law, no respect for themselves or their children. We are talking about teaching responsibility and you can not do that if you are participating in the situation. You become a part of the problem, not the solution. As long as we condone the drinking, with no real consequence other than possible death, we will never solve the problem. I laugh at the beer commercials - "Drink responsibly." Everybody thinks they do this until it is too late and causes a wreck that kills a friend or someone else. And you are correct. None of this - drugs, drinking, sex - is going to stop until we, as adults, stop turning a blind eye to the reality that this IS going on and develop a plan to get a better handle on the problem. It will never completely stop. I can't help but wonder, every time I read of a teen's death due to drugs or drinking, could something have been said or done to have prevented such a tragedy? Maybe that parent is wondering the same thing. It was fun being cool with your teen, but at the expense of losing that child. I doubt it. Make 'em mad, make 'em angry and maybe they will live to give you greater joy.