INHALANTS, MARIJUANA SHOULD NOT BE COMPARED

Dear Editor,

Your article on chemical inhalant abuse among young people is both
woefully inadequate and terribly misinformed. You state that chemical
inhalants are "just as dangerous to health as marijuana." Nothing
could more mischaracterize either cannabis or chemical inhalants than
this absurd statement.

While chemical inhalants typically kill brain cells wholesale and are
therefore arguably more harmful than either heroin or cocaine,
cannabis has been shown to be a powerful neuro-protective agent,
having precisely the opposite effect of chemical inhalants on brain
cells. In fact, cannabinoids have been shown to protect brain cells
from damage caused by exposure to sarin nerve gas which is, of course,
more toxic than any household chemical inhalant.

Mentioning cannabis/marijuana in the same breath as chemical inhalants
severely damages your credibility on issues of drug abuse. In your
attempt to suggest the danger of cannabis you have actually
down-played the danger of chemical inhalants. This doesn't help
anybody, least of all the kids.

If you really want to help parents to help their kids make good
decisions about drugs, please invest a little more time researching
the relative dangers of all drugs, both legal and illegal.

Larry A. Stevens
Springfield