A FLAWED LAW

It's Nonsense To Omit Alcohol From Anti-Drug Ads

Guest editorials do not necessarily reflect Herald-Leader views.

States uniformly ban the sale of alcoholic beverages to minors because they
are not considered mature enough to drink responsibly and safely.

That bit of wisdom seems to have been lost on Congress, which by sleight of
hand banned the federal government from mentioning alcohol in a $195 million
anti-drug media blitz aimed at kids.

A two-word phrase deep in the legislation establishing the White House's
Office of National Drug Control Policy -- the so-called "drug czar" --
limits its activities to "controlled substances." Liquor is not one, and so
the federal government can't spend a nickel to warn kids about alcohol's
potential dangers.

A bill introduced this month by U.S. Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, D-Calif.,
would correct that and allow the drug czar to include alcohol warnings in
anti-drug messages to children. It's a sensible amendment, reflecting
national concerns about underage drinking, and it ought to be approved.

Leading the crusade against the Roybal-Allard bill is the National Beer
Wholesalers' Association, whose tiresome refrain is that liquor is a legal
product and the federal government has no business criticizing it in any forum.

Nonsense. Alcohol sales to minors are not legal, and the dangers of alcohol
abuse by adolescents are universally recognized. "It's the biggest drug
abuse problem for adolescents, and it's linked to the use of other, illegal
drugs," drug czar Barry McCaffrey said at a Feb. 8 news conference.

Among other research, a 1998 University of Michigan study reported that 74
percent of high school seniors had already tried alcohol -- about twice as
many as had smoked marijuana -- and nearly a third admitted getting drunk
during the previous month.

Still, a spokesman for the drug czar's office argues that adding "... and
alcohol" to the federal ad campaign for kids would muddle its anti-drug message.

That's an inane distinction. Alcohol, in the hands of children or teens, is
a dangerous drug they should be warned about. It's sufficiently dangerous in
fact, that if more money is needed to broaden the federal media blitz,
Congress should provide it.

Honesty has to be the trademark of a campaign against substance abuse,
particularly one aimed at kids. Playing phony games with the definition of
"dangerous substance" undermines the credibility of the effort and its
effectiveness.

- -- Chicago Tribune