Drugs and Alcohol - Dirty Little Secrets

[wireties]

My two cents...

We are mentors but primarily with regards to the use of technology, the pursuit of technical careers, work ethic, team participation, leadership - all the things that make a FRC team work. I think a mentor should refrain from sharing opinions about drug or alcohol use, legalization etc with students. We certainly should not be drinking or using in their presence.

It is not that I think one thing or another is evil but these are parental domains. If a mentor thinks a student has a drug or alcohol problem, tell the parents in confidence. If a mentor witnesses drug or alcohol usage during "team time" or in "team areas", tell the teachers involved. Teachers are the only ones with the authority to take any kind of action. Teams aligned with schools generally have to follow the school guidelines, not to do so risks the relationship between the team and the school (perhaps the very existence of the team).