DRUG PREVENTION SHOULDN'T BE PUNITIVE

This is in response to Donald Polzin's letter, "University can send a
sobering message."

He misrepresents the problem in stating because a student has a high
intellect or the university uses scare tactics that students will
become immune to illicit drug death. Obviously that trend of thought
is incorrect considering there have been six dead students from
illicit drugs in 33 months.

He believes additional drug education is not needed because young
people attend college and are intelligent that they understand the
dangers of unhealthy and or illegal behavior and that they still used
and died. The majority of adults and students today are ignorant
regarding lethal consequences of illicit drugs. Knowing just enough
about illicit drugs to use, overdose and die does not illustrate knowledge.

Labeling students who use illicit drugs as miscreants and stating
college is only for those who are there to engage in sober academic
activity illustrates how out of touch Polzin is. He recommends
punishment when the university becomes aware of a student's drug
problem. So how do you punish a dead student?

The point of our paid ad was to expose the lethal illicit drug
problem in Chico. We also desired education and awareness through
media, university Internet, school newspaper, radio, TV and many
other options to reduce the lethal consequences of illicit drug use
especially the blending multiple illicit drugs. This is called
prevention, before someone's son or daughter dies. This was the point
of our ad.

James C. Bettencourt, Willows