SHUT DOWN DARE AND DISBAND RCMP

To the editor:

Re: "Horsemen differ with VPD over DARE," Jan. 24.

DARE is worse than no program at all. Don't believe me? Compare the
teen marijuana use rates from 1990 and 2005. Or, compare Canada's
teen pot use rate today to that of the Netherlands (about half as
many Dutch teens use pot as Canadian teens).

As a Federal Medical Marijuana Licence Holder who is also married to
one, I deeply resent DARE's non-factual information, specifically
about marijuana. This, I feel, is the main reason they have been a
complete failure most places they operate. Kids realize they have
been systematically lied to by people of authority.

Prohibition is a greater threat to society than the drugs themselves
could ever be, and DARE is one of their main propaganda departments.
It isn't about truth, it is about fear and obedience, and the fact
that they aim it at children is downright evil.

Not only should DARE be discontinued, the RCMP should be disbanded
for -among many other things-lying to kids and to the public for so
long about drugs, and about prohibition.

Russell Barth

Ottawa