DRUGS AREN'T FOR JOKING

I will never change my mind about the dangers of drugs. This morning I was
listening to the 94.1 KRNA morning show, as I do almost every morning.
However, today was my last day.

I was appalled to hear a short radio skit where a son was telling his
mother it was OK and safe to take her "medication" - the deadly drug heroin.

The DJs who played it prefaced it by saying they had played it the day
before and a listener called in and complained.

They continued, alleging they only wanted to have "a little fun."

They weren't telling kids to use drugs; they just wanted to do something
funny to wake people up.

Well, it certainly woke me up. When did the use of drugs become funny?

I was completely appalled by the whole situation so I called them and told
them I wanted to commend the listener who had called in the previous day. I
tried to tell them they weren't being funny, but I was only ridiculed.

They felt they hadn't done anything wrong and that telling parents to talk
to their children about drugs was more than enough needed to fix the situation.

After I hung up, they decided to play another jingle telling the previous
caller to "just shut up." And then played another short skit about some
kids smoking marijuana, as if to spite me.

What is this world coming to when it's OK to try to make drugs look funny
and harmless? When people do that, it takes the entire fight against drugs
a step backward. Those who have the ability need to share the truth about
drugs and the nightmares they cause. They steal dreams, ruin relationships
and literally eat away at a person's soul. How can any of that be funny?

Call the station. Write letters. Do whatever it takes to get the message
across that the use of drugs is not to be joked about.

Angie Hershberger, Iowa City