Strollin' Johnny:

As I said, legality/illegality is not the issue.

I started smoking cigarettes when I was nine. I have been able to get the habit down to about ten smokes a day, and I hope to keep it there. I don't think it's good that kids smoke tobacco either. I have never smoked or had alcohol around my kids--well, never smoked, and I don't drink at all. I worry that dealers will approach my kids--but I gotta tell ya buddy, I would have absolutely NO hesitation about taking a baseball bat to someone's knees. As a teacher, I have faced down some dealers who were trying to sell to my students. When it comes to my own kids, I would hospitalize the bastards and not think twice about doing so. I have made that clear to many people in the town I live in, and so far, the dealers are keeping away from both my students and my children. The day they don't is the day I call 911 for a few unlucky individuals.

Bruce M