Need continues for family help

Dear Abby: It’s been several years since you have mentioned Because I Love You (B.I.L.Y.) as a resource for parents in crisis. What is happening to our groups – as well as similar ones – is a decrease in attendance. Yet the problems today are worse than when I started B.I.L.Y. many years ago. The schools don’t want a group such as ours on their campus because they’re afraid it signals that there are problems on their campus. Well, there are problems on ALL campuses today!

The legalization of recreational marijuana has sent a message to our youth that it’s safe to use. Parents of 10-yearolds have come to our group because their child is using. Kids are dying at a faster pace than ever before, and much of it is because of synthetic drugs on the streets. Parents can be a major part of the problem, and a group like B.I.L.Y. offers suggestions for solutions. It’s not just drugs that we deal with but also mental health issues, gender ID, school dropouts, gang involvement and more.

We rely on the media to help us with referrals. Will you please consider mentioning B.I.L.Y. again as you so generously have in the past? Parents in the U.S. and Canada need to be aware that we are here for them. Thanks, Abby!

Dear Dennis: I’m happy to mention Because I Love You again. Readers, the nonprofit B.I.L.Y. has been in existence for more than 35 years. This self-help group provides support for parents of children of all ages in coping with behavioral problems such as truancy, substance abuse and other forms of defiance of authority.