THINK! - Looking for someone to blame?

Katie Granju is a popular mommy blogger, author and activist who lost her son, Henry, to a drug overdose last year at the tender age of 17. Henry struggled with addiction throughout his teen years. He attended rehab programs with the support of his family but still could not seem to kick the habit. He was attacked and severely beaten and he overdosed on drugs before being taken to an area hospital where he died on May 31, 2010.

Katie Granju and son, Henry.

Today, Granju is drawing attention to little-known legislation that holds the people who sold Henry the drugs responsible for his death. She is working to force law enforcement officials to pursue the investigation into her son’s death and bring those dealers to justice. Listening to this heartbreaking story told on Granju’s blog and across the Internet by sympathetic mothers, it is easy to understand why she is fighting for someone to blame.

I asked my readers what they thought about this issue. Ultimately, who is responsible when a teenager overdoses on drugs? Is it the parents? Could they have done more to stop their child from taking drugs? Is it the teenager? After all, he or she took the risk and paid the price, right? Should we hold the dealers accountable? I mean, the teenager wouldn’t OD without access to drugs. Maybe society’s to blame. Hey, teenagers wouldn’t do drugs if they weren’t “cool”. Maybe no one is to blame.

Granju’s stand is that the dealers are responsible, but that is not how you saw it. Nearly 70% of you responded that you believe the teenager is at fault in an overdose.

“The teenager wasn’t being responsible. You trust them to make good choices. You can’t choose the correct avenues for them.” – Nestor Sanchez

Some of you felt there was no clear answer to the question.

“I think it's a combination of all. The parents should have taught them better as they were growing up, but they can only do so much as their kids get older. The teenager should know better, but even as an "adult" I've been driven to do things even when I know better. The dealer just shouldn't be dealing. And society because even as an adult there is pressure to "fit in". – Sherry Leeman

Personally, I agree that in most cases it is the teenager’s fault for getting into drugs in the first place. I do not have an addictive personality. I have never been addicted to anything (coffee doesn’t count, right?). I have never been close to an addict before. So maybe I just don’t have the appropriate experiences in life to be objective. But the way I see it, it is tragic but going after the drug dealers is a waste of time and energy.

Ironically, the case surrounding the assault on Henry has been closed but the investigation into his overdose is still active. The one issue where I believe there is no gray area is that this boy was beaten and that beating ultimately lead to his death. There are clear grounds here for homicide charges, yet that case was closed.

Regardless of where you stand on this issue, drug addiction is a serious problem and our teenagers are its most vulnerable victims. They are still children trying desperately to find out who they are and how they fit in. They are emotionally underdeveloped and lack the life experiences required to make sound decisions with long-term consequences. The Granju’s did everything they could to break through to Henry and help him beat his addiction but still, his decision to do drugs ultimately cost him his life.

Hug your children. Talk to them. Start the difficult conversations. Assume they have had these conversations with their classmates and consider whose information you would rather they have: yours or that derived from the logic of other teenagers?

More information about Katie Granju, her family and her son, Henry.