Why isn't she speaking out against alcohol? Just because HER daughter took pills and died doesn't mean alcohol is safer and there will be more schoolies drinking than taking pills. I do feel bad for these parents who lose their kids to drugs but you would think they would actually take some time to learn about what killed their child not just speak random nonsense about it that nobody listens to and blame their friends for peer pressure.
I think this attitude is a bit harsh and not particularly helpful.
I cannot fault a parent for wanting others to not do the thing they believe killed their child. I find it quite a reasonable position for a parent to have given the circumstances.
However, I'm a parent. I take drugs and I expect my children will too, I'm quite aware of the dangers of different drugs though and think that because of that fact alone my children will be safer in the same circumstances.
I have more concern about my children using alcohol than "Ecstasy" but that is largely because I can (within reason) ensure that my kids know the difference between a 'pill', 'ecstasy' and MDMA and the safest practical ways to take such a drug.
Most children in this country (IMHO) are brought up by parents without a good knowledge of drugs, this includes legal drugs (tobacco and alcohol) and prescription medications. Yet the usual view of people I meet either parents or not is that if it's legal it's not that bad. Most parents don't mind the idea of a 16 year old getting a bit tipsy as much as the thought of their little boy/girl taking a brain melting blotter of ACID!
All the evidence I've found shows that the alcohol has a higher risk of making permanent detrimental changes but everyone drinks alcohol.. can't be that bad.. I'm ok when I don't drink so much so I'm sure little jimmy can have a few sips...
What I'm getting at is that I believe it is not fair to expect a grieving parent to understand this. When people get facts about things they don't have experience with that shows reality doesn't match their ideas they fight it. I think that's the same for us all.
I believe the shift needs to be larger. Society will have to accept that the majority take drugs and that is normal before individuals can be expected to have a realistic view of the dangers of drugs.
I'd really like to know why the mother doesn't have an answer as to whether the drug taken by her daughter was PMA or MDMA. Shouldn't this be something investigated and found post mortem? I assume that the parents would have the right to deny such forensic investigation and maybe that is the case here. I'd want to know, though it's hard to say when faced with such a situation what view you would have in regards to drug information.
I'd like to think that given the same circumstances I would be reporting to the media that a "pill" killed my child and the reason why is because of the drug laws we have making it next to impossible for people especially risk taking teenagers to know what it is they are taking. There are plenty more points to be made in regards to drug prohibition and the relation to deaths from users but that would be what I hope I would get across.
I can't say if that day ever occurred I wouldn't change my opinion though.