MAKES IMPACT

John Sander's letter with regard to students having less access to
marijuana if it were "government-controlled like liquor" prompts us to set
the record straight ["Hard to control," Letters, November 25]. Statistics
show that the use of alcohol among the student population is far higher
than that of drugs. Student surveys indicate that our youth have no problem
obtaining any drug: legal or illegal, it is readily available. We know that
in Powell River, the use of marijuana by students is higher than the
average for Canada simply because, in our community, marijuana is very
available.

Therefore, we believe destroying crops would have an impact on how easily
students could obtain this drug locally.

We believe that marketing marijuana through regulated channels would simply
increase the number of students using it. There are still those in society
who do not want to break the law.

Surely, we have learned that making drugs legal does not lessen the harm
associated with them. Tobacco, alcohol, and caffeine are legal drugs that
have had far-reaching health consequences to the public. Do we want to have
another legal drug to contend with?

As we keep saying over and over, the key to having an impact on the use of
alcohol and drugs among youth is positive adult role modelling, parental
involvement, a healthy environment and community, and sound laws, along
with education and prevention programs aimed at empowering our youth to
make healthy choices.

Marianne Smisko, Susan Hill, Scott McLeod, Lana Blair, Terry Ewan, and
Evelyn Dolley
LEAD Committee
Let's Educate About Drugs