NO. 1 CAUSE OF TEEN DEATHS

The Aug. 19 Metropolitan section article, "Survey finds small decline
in illegal drug use by teens," quoted the executive director of the
Houston Council on Alcoholism and Drug abuse, Mel Taylor, that where
the illicit use of drugs is down in some areas, there is a "continued
and sustained use of alcohol and tobacco among teen-agers." Taylor
said the reasons are simple -- advertising and availability -- and
that the millions spent on billboards and broadcasts to get across the
message that illicit drugs can kill have been extremely effective.

Children only copy adults, so is society ready to put an end to beer
advertising and availability? There is too much hypocrisy going on
here concerning drugs that not only confuse adults but also children.
The No. 1 cause of teen-age deaths is alcohol -- six times more than
all illegal drugs combined.

J.F. Green,
Houston