POLICY ALL WRONG

To The Editor:

Once again underage drinking has been given short shrift by the federal
government in its drug prevention efforts.

A survey of drug use released last year indicates that the rate of
first-time drinkers between the ages of 12 and 17 nearly doubled from 117.6
per 1,000 kids in 1989 to 216.8 per 1,000 kids in 1997. That means that
twice as many kids are at risk for getting into trouble with alcohol. Yet
our children aren't seeing any underage drinking prevention messages in the
anti-drug campaign now costing taxpayers $195 million. Described as "the
largest multicultural advertising and communications effort ever undertaken
by the federal government," it ignores alcohol.

How much longer are we going to tolerate such a misguided policy? After
all, the most likely cause of death for a 16-year-old is alcohol related.

Dr. Martin H. Levinson, Director of Project Share, CSD 30, Jackson Heights