THOSE SUPER BOWL ANTI-DRUG ADS

According to House Speaker Dennis Hastert, ``The illegal drug trade is the
financial engine that fuels many terrorist organization around the world,
including Osama bin Laden.''

That is why the $3.2 million the Office of National Drug Control Policy
spent on two 30-second Super Bowl commercials was money well spent. The
advertisements cautioned viewers that illegal drug use could end up aiding
terrorists.

This did not sit well with groups that believe the war on drugs is a waste
of time and that the money was misspent. Christina Allen of Working Assets,
a telecommunications company, went so far as to say that ``the ads
represent a missed opportunity to channel millions of dollars into drug
prevention and treatment programs that work.''

But one of the very best ways to discourage people from using drugs is to
show them the harmful consequences. And if they don't use the stuff, they
won't need treatment.

Running the drug ads during the Super Bowl was timely. Millions of
Americans of all ages watched the game, and if the message resonates with
thousands of adolescents under peer pressure to experiment, then those
commercials did their job.

Yes, drug treatment is essential, but the more Americans we can keep from
getting hooked, the fewer curative measures we will need. Therefore, the
Office of National Drug Policy should spend more of its $180 million
advertising budget on the kinds of ads that ran during the Super Bowl. The
adage about an ounce of prevention still stands.