D.A.R.E DOING MORE HARM THAN GOOD SAYS READER

Peace River Record Gazette -- Dear Editor:

Re: RCMP Dares Kids To Think Smart, May 9 edition of the Record-Gazette.

I applaud anyone's effort to keep kids off of drugs, but the D.A.R.E.
program has proven, in many areas, to cause more harm than good.

As a Federal Medical Marijuana License Holder who is also married to
one, I resent the non-factual information on marijuana, and the "all
use is abuse" attitude they usually adopt. Their message seems to be
"Don't give into peer pressure. Unless it comes from the RCMP."

Adults, especially police, have lost most of their credibility when
it comes to drugs, because they lie and exaggerate the so-called
dangers of marijuana. They tell kids that marijuana is ten times more
potent than before, will cause cancer, schizophrenia, impotence,
permanent stupidity, and an addiction to hard drugs.

When kids discover the truth on their own (which is just a Google
search away), they will realize they have been systematically lied to
by people they once trusted. They will likely conclude that if adults
lied about Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and marijuana, they must be
lying about meth, crack, heroin, ecstasy, booze, weapons, extreme
sports, safe-sex and safe-driving too. And who can blame them?

We live in a drug culture that advertises booze, fast cars, fast
food, violent movies and video games, and drugs of all kinds on TV.
Then we tell kids, "Say no to drugs." We give kids Ritalin, instead
of just reducing their sugar and Game-Boy intake, and then tell them
"Marijuana is dangerous!" They see right though this hypocrisy. A
ruse by any other name...

For those keen on educating kids about drugs--without all the
fear-mongering, indoctrination, hyperbole, and absurd hypocrisy of
the standard "drug education" programs--I recommend the Educators For
Sensible Drug Policy website at www.efsdp.org.

Russell Barth

Ottawa