PUB LTE: TEACH DRUG RESPONSIBILITY

I am appalled by the recent uproar concerning the danger that raves
pose to Edmonton's youth. It seems that yet another scene is being
destroyed due to irresponsible drug use by young people who do not
fully understand the risks tied to it. The media and politicians are
preying upon desperate parents who search for a scapegoat to explain
these troubled teens.

What people do not realize is that drugs exist everywhere. If the city
shuts down raves, Edmonton youth will simply find another place to
continue their drug use. If people would focus more on education
instead of the immediate obliteration of drug use, then one may see
more promising changes in Edmonton's youth.

Stopping raves will only make people who attend them for the enjoyment
of culture, music and art suffer. Young people are going to do drugs
whether the city likes it or not, the least we can do is teach them
drug responsibility.

Caitlin Miller

(Education beats regulations.)