Having lost a close relative due to...

Having lost a close relative due to chemical dependency last year, I was very disappointed with the Feb. 14 episode of “Family Ties.” I am referring to that portion of the program in which Jennifer and her parents were in front of the principal and she asked not once but twice for a drink to give her courage. I thought the television and motion picture industries were going to stop glorifying drinking and drug abuse, especially during family viewing hours. Wait until it hits home (those in the above-mentioned industries).

“Family Ties” used to be one of our very favorite programs, but this season it is so sappy. In this episode, for example, Mallory looked like an idiot. Justine Bateman deserves better than this. The series used to be family fare; not any more for this family.

Yvonne M. Chapman, Torrance