GREATER PROBLEMS

The health and well-being of the youth in this community is not
threatened by ecstasy. Nationally, ecstasy was involved in, but not
necessarily the cause of, eight deaths in 1998 and four deaths in
1999. This is compared with 110,640 alcohol-related deaths, 430,700
deaths attributed with smoking, 32,000 deaths due to adverse
reactions to prescription drugs, 16,926 deaths due to reactions from
licit and illicit drugs, and more than 30 deaths related to school
violence.

I am not advocating that teens attend rave parties and partake in the
consumption of MDMA. But I do believe that, with parental
involvement, we need to develop a realistic dialog on issues that are
a direct threat to our students.

Heroine, cocaine and alcohol use, along with teen violence, has
increased in high schools across Oakland County. Community
organizations have an opportunity to focus on school violence and
lethal drug use.

Our mission should be to eliminate all heroin and cocaine use,
eliminate alcohol abuse and maintain school safety. I challenge
community organizations and schools to table the ecstasy issue and
maintain this focus before it's too late.

Robert J. Wooley

The Brookings Institution

Economic Studies Program

Washington, D.C.