DRUGS, AMUSEMENT PARKS AND EXOTIC COUNTRIES

Sometimes you think you've heard it all, then BANG, something comes
up that makes you say, "I've really heard it all now."

On page 9 of last week's Coaster, we ran an article on George Chuvalo
and his talk about drugs to students at St. Anne's school in Conne
River.This week, if you glance to your left, you'll see two letters
to the editor from men regarding George Chuvalo. One man said,
"Telling kids never to do certain drugs is like telling them never to
see a certain genre of movie, never go to an amusement park or exotic
country, or never do anything at all that may be both risky and fun."
The other man said, "Simply urging kids to "just say no" to drugs
just doesn't work." Mr. Chuvalo's message didn't surround the 'just
say no' attitude - his focus was his family and how drugs destroyed it.

Freedom of speech is a great thing, no doubt, but it seems that the
authors of these letters don't agree with what Mr. Chuvalo is trying
to do, or they don't understand what he is doing.

Mr. Chuvalo opened up to a group of strangers and talked about the
dangers of drugs, especially hardcore street drugs like cocaine and
heroin. However, Mr. Chuvalo said that addicts have one thing in
common - they all started smoking tobacco and marijuana first. Rather
than tell kids that marijuana can be "both risky and fun", Mr.
Chuvalo talked about what can happen when the marijuana buzz simply
isn't enough. Rather than buy a gram, users buy marijuana in a higher
quantity. However, then they may try hashish, or ecstasy, then acid,
then cocaine and then, unfortunately, they become hooked and most
often than not, a life of crime awaits.

If you're not going to emphasize to youth the dangers of drugs and
what could happen if you become an addict, you're a part of the
problem, not the solution.

Sure, the majority of our population experimented with marijuana at
some point. Those people probably started and ended with marijuana,
but some probably went on to try cocaine. Those people probably
stopped there, but some probably experimented with needles. Some of
those people probably got medical treatment, but others never. Those
people probably ended up on the street and probably lived a life of
crime. Don't believe it's possible? Talk to George Chuvalo.

Sure, kids can see through hypocrisy like a pair of white jeans on a
rainy day. However, by comparing some drugs to amusement parks and
exotic countries is hypocrisy that all youth must see through.

Drugs is a touchy subject, no doubt, but as adults, it's our
responsibility to inform youth of the nasty habits that can present
itself because of drugs that can be "both risky and fun". Keeping
them off of drugs will do a lot more than comparing it to an amusement park.