This is a double question. Should parents be allowed to buy alcohol for their underage children? And should they be required to pay a fine when they supply their kids with alcohol?

This isn't just a philosophical question -- police in some jurisdictions are raising awareness among adults, and particularly parents, of the medical, social and legal consequences of supplying teens with alcohol -- which can include a $500 fine.

Given the time of year, it is likely to affect anyone who is celebrating graduation with the help of alcohol. And while some parents feel that they are the best people to be introducing their children to alcohol, feeling perhaps that their kids will be better prepared for adult life, or having the misguided belief that drinking is healthy, parents are known to be the single greatest influence on children's future addictions. Also, binge drinking is known to be related to injuries, accidents, and long and short term health problems, some of which are fatal.

What do you think? Should parents be left alone to supply their kids with alcohol? Or should the law step in to protect vulnerable young people from the risks of alcohol?

Image reproduced with permission of West Vancouver Police Department

A Dad was caught smoking a cigarette while driving with his son in the back seat, and was given the first ever ticket for smoking in a vehicle with a child in BC, Canada, ironically, on Father's Day.

According to Metronews, on April 7, 2009, BC passed a law against smoking in a vehicle with a child under 16 inside. RCMP officers will be on the lookout for violators.

Are we getting a tad controlling? Or should parents be expected to protect their children from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke?

Perhaps more importantly, should parents be held accountable for behavior they are role modelling to their children? Research shows that parents' use of addictive substances has a major influence on whether children later develop substance use disorders.

David Carradine, the much-loved star of Kung Fu and Kill Bill, recently died horrifically apparently as a consequence of the desperate pursuit of a sexual high. The connection between David's death and the phenomenon of sex addiction is proposed in an interview with addiction expert Dr. David Moore of Argosy University, Seattle.

David Carradine's death may have been a consequence of the increasingly dangerous activities which a sex addict can engage in, in a futile attempt to achieve a greater sexual rush. As Dr. Moore points out, macho boasting and posturing around sex addiction belies the truth of sexual insecurity underneath, and the sad result is made only too real when injuries, sexually transmitted diseases, unplanned pregnancies and even death occur as a consequence.

So what should you do if you feel this is your pattern of desire or behavior? Are you a sex addict? The Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health, may help you to answer this question. Dr. Moore's advice is to seek help from a certified sex therapist.

Photo © Marsaili McGrath/Getty Images

In an unexpected new twist, Release's anti-stigma campaign, orginally intended for buses, has become a global debate, far exceeding original expectations.

Despite being withdrawn from the bus advertising it was designed for, the campaign has captured the imaginations of people all over the world, from Australia's crikey.com, to Oxford University's Ethics site.

So in terms of Release's original goal, which was to get people talking about the stimatization of drug users and drug use, the campaign has been a resounding success. Before the campaign was launched on June 1st, typing the phrase "nice people take drugs" into google resulted in only 4 hits. Now, just two weeks later, it results in around 40,000.

Release is now inviting people to download the slogan onto flashcards, and to send in pictures of themselves in front of famous landmarks.

What is important to remember is that this is not a pro-drugs message, but an anti-stigma message. It is intended to balance the biased coverage of drug use by the media, resulting in drug users being stereotyped as "bad" people, and consequently, in widespread stigma and the denial of a range of rights, from housing to medical care. All too often, this becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, as people turn to crime to finance their habit and meet their basic needs.