Drugs and Alcohol - Dirty Little Secrets

[M3NT0R]

Originally Posted by wireties

I think a mentor should refrain from sharing opinions about drug or alcohol use, legalization etc with students.

I know what you're trying to say, but I've had discussions with my students before about legalization and why there are proponents and opponents. Part of me being a mentor is to educate my students on what is going on in the world, and giving them an opportunity to be curious in an environment they won't be ridiculed or prosecuted. It's also been in the larger context of politics and not specifically a conversation about drugs.

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.

Unfortunately, this is not always an option that is available. Some teams like mine are urban teams serving lower socioeconomic communities where typical family structures, for some students, may not really exist.