A hard look at teens and their world

Re “Sasha Is Dead, but Why?” Column One, Nov. 18

I had to laugh -- although bitterly -- when I read how shocked parents were that their upper-middle-class, private-school, nanny-raised kids were huffing, choking themselves, smoking salvia (an Internet-traded drug not mentioned by your article) and a myriad of other activities aimed at getting high. Why? Because no one wants to see the big picture.

How dare we adults chastise kids for wanting a quick fix to feeling good, when our whole lives revolve around making ourselves feel better? You will never see a TV ad saying “Gastric reflux? Change your diet, get some exercise and drink more water.” It’s all about the quick fix.

Any Internet-savvy adult can find out about what kids are up to with a few easy Google searches and some time on chat rooms. Not until someone dies do adults learn the lesson they should have learned in 1969: Kids get high; kids play with their lives. And we say the quick fix is OK.

Stop pointing fingers and take a look at the big picture.

SUSAN BUCKNER

Seal Beach

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Thank you so much for the article on the “choking game.” What pretty, childish words to name this form of self-injury. Like the words “Russian roulette” and “cutting,” the names themselves encourage an atmosphere of play and a denial of the real danger. As a veteran of parenting three daughters just emerging from their teen years, I found reading the article to be a painful experience, but I applaud Sandy Banks and The Times for bringing me closer to the real world our teens live in.

ANNE EGGEBROTEN

Santa Monica