ALCOHOL IS TEENS' NO. 1 DRUG PROBLEM

This letter is in response to Chuck Sambar's column on Monday ("City
must work to keep drugs from kids," Community Commentary).

The importance of parental involvement in reducing adolescent drug use
cannot be overstated.

School-based extracurricular activities have also been shown to reduce
use. They keep kids busy during the hours that they are most likely to
get into trouble.

In order for drug prevention efforts to effectively reduce harm, they
must be reality-based.

The most popular drug and the one most closely associated with violent
behavior is often overlooked by parents. Alcohol may be legal, but
it's still the No. 1 drug problem.

For decades, school-based drug prevention efforts have been dominated
by sensationalist programs such as Drug Abuse Resistance Education.
Good intentions are no substitute for effective drug education.

Drug education programs must be reality-based, or they may backfire
when kids are inevitably exposed to drug use among their peers.

Robert Sharpe

Arlington, Va.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Sharpe is a policy analyst for Washington, D.C.-based
Common Sense for Drug Policy.