The problems young people encounter with alcohol and other drugs don't take a summer vacation. But it seems those problems rise to the forefront when it's time for young people to go back to school.

Dear Mr. Moyers: Last Friday night, our 16-year-old daughter had a party. It was supposed to be just for some high-school classmates to mark the end of summer and the start of their sophomore year, with pizza, pop and snacks. Yet she posted the invitation on Facebook and told her friends to pass along the invite. The result: It seemed as if half the school showed up, coming in and out the back door into the basement. The guests included the varsity football team and people our daughter claims she didn't know. There was beer and who knows what else. By the end of the night, two kids had acute alcohol poisoning; we had to call the police and an ambulance. Our neighbors in this quiet cul-de-sac are furious. Now my wife and I are trying to decide on an appropriate punishment for our daughter, who is otherwise a pretty good kid. What do you suggest? — Lawrence J., White Bear Lake, Minn.

Dear Lawrence: You and your wife need to scrutinize your role before taking action against your daughter. It was your house. You should have been in control from the start. Posting invitations on Web pages or e-mailing them may be the rule rather than the exception with today's generation, but it only invites disaster. Even still, you could have used a guest list drawn up ahead of time by your daughter to screen out those whom she did not want to come inside. Of course, an entry other than the front door only made it worse. That door should have been locked and off-limits. Did you set clear expectations with your daughter ahead of time about no drinking, smoking or unruly behavior? Finally, you want to respect your daughter's social boundaries. But that doesn't mean you can't interact with her friends one or two times during the gathering. A parent who is present and visible lets guests know who is ultimately in charge. And I think that if you had been more vigilant, you easily would have detected the use of alcohol and called the party over before it got out of hand. Let this be a lesson to you and your daughter. Unless you punish yourselves, don't punish her.

Dear Mr. Moyers: Our school starts drug testing this year. I think it's wrong because it invades our privacy. Only kids who are in sports are getting tested. I play soccer. But I don't want to take the test. The coach says players who don't take it get kicked off the team. What do you think? — Peter N., a suburb of Oklahoma City

Dear Peter: The answer isn't easy. Over the years, drug testing has evolved from strictly a tool to catch or punish users of illegal drugs, such as marijuana and cocaine, to a way to screen for performance-enhancing substances, such as steroids, which give players an unfair advantage on the field. The effectiveness is debatable, in part because rarely do the tests cover tobacco or alcohol, the most commonly used drugs by teenagers. Also, there are increasingly sophisticated methods of beating the tests, such as chemicals and urine specimens that can be purchased on the Internet. And then there is the issue of students' legal rights and why all students aren't subject to tests. Courts have been siding with districts on this contentious issue. I believe testing is one way to address drug problems, but only in concert with comprehensive prevention, education and treatment plans involving everyone in the classroom. If you have nothing to hide, take the test. You'll benefit from the physical activity and the camaraderie with your teammates.

William C. Moyers is the vice president of external affairs for the Hazelden Foundation and the author of "Broken," a best-selling memoir. The paperback edition was released in August 2007. Please send your questions to William Moyers at William@WilliamMoyers.com. To find out more about William Moyers and read his past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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