Alan Cochrane's column reporting on his loss of the 'Just Say No'
paradigm (Commentary, July 6) was insightful and encouraging. Rational
discussion of the 'drug issue' has been blanked out for decades, if not
a century, in the US. It was overwhelmed by the religious fervour at the
turn of this century and now it is blanked out by the special interests
whose income and/or status depends on continuing the war on drugs.

In the US, 50 federal agencies nozzle up to the war on drugs' teat every
year to the tune of upwards of $50bn. Try to tell those agencies that
the war on drugs accomplishes nothing.

No doubt Scotland, as welll as the rest of Great Britain, has a similar
impediment to rational discourse.

Those of us engaged in a continuing effort to bring back rationality to
the drug use and abuse debate thank you and Alan Cochrane's
contributions towards that end.

Welcome to the new paradigm, 'Just Say Know'.

Gerald Sutliff, California

Anyone who has ever dipped a toe into the drugs culture will surely have
known that the sight of Michael Forsyth in a reversed baseball cap would
turn the appropriately named SAD campaign into what David Macauley hoped
drugs themselves would become: uncool and oldfashioned (News, July 6)

I have no doubt that the end of Macauley's influence will ultimately
save lives. Somebody should have educated Andrew Woodlock and his
friends about the difference between one and three ecstasy tablets.
Instead, Macauley just said no to drug education.

Parents only understand drugs such as alcohol and tobacco which 'they
can handle', and they're legal so how can they be drugs? Parents have
just said no since the word 'teenager' was created, so why the problem?

Macauley has no answer, just a kneejerk reaction to apportion blame,
conveniently bypassing parents and their drunken hypocrisy. In my early
teens I lived on a naval housing estate. The navy arranged for parents
and kids to see a drug education film. Seperately. Peer pressure can be
a positive force. Parental pressure rarely is. The film included
interviews with junkies while they shot up. The sight of a needle being
placed in a hole it had just been removed from turned my stomach more
then the sight of an autopsy on a junkie's corpse. It had the required
effect without anybody saying to me: "Hey kid, be cool, just say no."

Alcohol is a killer yet people use it sensibly and in moderation. When a
drunken driver kills a pedastrian there are no calls to 'illegalise it'.
Why? Because it wouldn't stop the problem. The sooner parents and
politicians stop equating decriminilisation with drugpushing the
better. The end of prohibition in the US did not produce a nation of
alcoholics. It did see an end to the gangsters (though they later took
over the drug trade) and an increase in treasury funds. More money for
hospitals to deal with the problems they were already dealing with.

No doubt Macauley would disagree. Perhaps he believes Roosevelt was an
irresponsible dogooder too.

Steve Bradley, Edinburgh

We've got a new wee grandson, called Josh seven weeks old and keeping
his Mum, Dad and big brother awake at night.

His mother watches his every move, worried about sniffles and snuffles,
treats him ohsogently and talks endlessly to him to soothe and
stimulate him in turn.

It's what mothers and fathers are doing daily all over the land for
their offspring.

In toddler times the caring is extended to "Hold my hand", "Clever boy",
"Watch the road". etc.

So why does that level of caring suddenly disappear in so many families
when their children reach the age when they can be exposed to the
dangers of underage drinking and drugtaking?

The youngsters hanging around our streets, egging each othwer on and
open to all sorts of evil influences, are there with their parents'
blessing.

Mums and dads are taking the easy way out and, in so doing, are waving
goodbye to their children's innocence.

Last year I attended a local Drugs Awareness Conference, in which no
mention of parents was made in the whole morning session. When I pointed
this out at the open forum, all the agencies were quick to assure me
that parents would be targeted in the near future. When?

The miseries and tragedies of drug abuse (and underage drinking) in our
young folk are *our* responsibility we took on that responsibility
when we brought them into this world as helpless babes. There is no opt
out clause.

'Just Say No' and harm reduction both have a vital level to play at
different levels. So, let's stop all this squabbling and get on with the
campaign, working to a common aim to create a happier future for all
our little Joshes.

Kay Landsburgh, Carnoustie, Scotland