OLYMPICS' ALCOHOL HYPOCRISY

Headlines in The Salt Lake Tribune recently declared that the federal
government will provide enormous funds to assure "drug-free" Salt Lake
Winter Olympic Games. In fact, our nation's drug czar, Gen. Barry
McCaffrey, publicly stated that he would like to see the 2002 Salt Lake
Winter Olympics be the most "drug-free" Olympics ever.

Although the members of the Alcohol Policy Coalition are pleased with these
strong comments and commitments about drug-use prevention during the 2002
Winter Olympics, we must ask, "Since when is alcohol no longer considered a
drug?" Not only is alcohol a drug, but it is also the most abused drug in
our society today.

For over three years, Utah's Alcohol Policy Coalition has been trying to
convince the Salt Lake Organizing Committee that the major alcoholic
beverage sponsorship by Anheuser-Busch of the Games is not only
inappropriate but very damaging to youth and athletes alike. What an
incredible double standard we set when we demand that Olympic athletes be
"drug-free" and then we turn around and have an alcoholic beverage company
be one of the major sponsors of the 2002 Winter Olympic games.

Until we as a society are willing to look at alcohol abuse as a critical
drug problem, the Alcohol Policy Coalition strongly believes that we are
not going to make a major dent on illegal drug use, either inside or
outside of athletics. When 61 percent of all college athletes in the United
States admit to "binge drinking" regularly, we must ask the question, "What
is going to stop athletes from using performance-enhancing drugs?"

Now is the time for not only our nation's drug czar to begin to speak out,
but for all of us to realize that to make the "2002 Winter Olympics the
most drug-free ever," we must first begin by freeing our youth and our
young athletes from having to participate in public sporting events, such
as the Olympics, associated with and sponsored by alcohol.

George J. Van Komen, Alcohol Policy Coalition, Salt Lake City