MISTAKE ON ANTI-DRUG PENCIL

TICONDEROGA, N.Y. (AP) -- A company is trying to erase an embarrassing
mistake it made on pencils bearing an anti-drug message.

The pencils carry the slogan: ``Too Cool to Do Drugs.''

But a sharp-eyed fourth-grader in northern New York noticed when the
pencils are sharpened, the message turns into ``Cool to Do Drugs'' then
simply ``Do Drugs.''

As a result of the discovery by 10-year-old Kodi Mosier of Ticonderoga
Elementary School, the company, called The Bureau For At-Risk Youth of
Plainview, recalled the pencils.

``We're actually a little embarrassed that we didn't notice that sooner,''
spokeswoman Darlene Clair told today's Press-Republican of Plattsburgh.

A new batch of pencils will have the message written in the opposite
direction, so when they are sharpened, they read ``Too Cool To Do'' and
finally ``Too Cool.''

For pointing out the botched message, Moiser earned his class a letter of
apology from the company and box full of T-shirts.

Why does Kodi think the company didn't catch the mistake themselves?

``I guess they didn't sharpen their pencils,'' he said.

Checked-by: Richard Lake