After a glance around for security, she holds the black-capped vial under a pulsing light, revealing the powder she first came across in July. Sara is 16, and what she's into is an anesthetic sometimes administered to people but, more commonly, to cats and monkeys. Generically called ketamine, street K is most often diverted in liquid form from vets' offices or medical suppliers. But I mean, I really knew they had heads. If this is intended as a subliminal inducement of fear in parents, it is not very subtle.
Nobody denies that children require protection.
Parents' desire to protect their offspring is a powerful instinct which is far older than the human species. Children and adolescents are not sufficiently experienced in the ways of the world for us to expect them to act as adults do, that is, in a responsible manner. Insofar as children and adolescents are not regarded as fully responsible for their actions, restrictions upon their actions, for their own protection, may be justified. Legislation restricting sales of alcohol to minors has been enacted for the protection of the young. Perhaps the same applies to other psychoactive substances, in particular, marijuana.