MORE ACCURATE INFO ABOUT DRUGS NEEDED As a father of three with the youngest now a high school senior I concur that parents need to be straight up and be available for open and honest discussions about drug use and drug abuse. It would be helpful if the fundamental messages being delivered by our drug czars and drug war supporting legislators were a bit more accurate. In response to the suggestion that making a drug illegal might increase danger and risk, the drug warriors gravely correct us by firmly stating, "Illegal drugs are against the law because they are dangerous". This blanket definition is not only misleading in fact, but also creates a misperception that a drugs risk level is what determines its legal status. Thus an uneducated teen, or adult for that matter, concludes that legal drugs are allowed for open purchase because they 'must not be dangerous'. We are seeing this manifest itself by evidence of persistent teen use of alcohol and tobacco and an increasing number of teens misusing various pharmacueticals. Our kids deserve more accurate and factual information about all drugs - most especially alcohol, tobacco and those drugs that can be purchased over the counter or via an RX. To date, public policy makers aren't providing that, and the increasing number of ways teens abuse substances is the result. And the attendant confusion in messages makes it just that much more difficult for parents to be trusted by our kids about the information we are sharing with them about drugs. Respectfully submitted, STEPHEN HEATH Public Relations Director Drug Policy Forum of Florida Clearwater FL http://www.dpffl.org
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