DON'T BE DOPES ABOUT DRUG USE

The view from Vancouver

This editorial appeared in the The Province

A new survey showing that many Canadian parents are in the dark about
their teenagers' drug use comes as little surprise. Parents are often
among the last to know what their children get up to. And that's been
true since time immemorial.

Nor is it really surprising that between one-third and one-half of
kids aged between 15 and 19 reported using marijuana in the past year,
according to the survey commissioned by the Canadian Centre on
Substance Abuse.

For years now, pro-pot zealots have made marijuana seem safe and cool.
What's more shocking is the increasing number of kids who admit to
taking prescription drugs, most of which they obtain from home.

These are drugs like Oxy-Contin, a highly addictive painkiller used by
a such international celebrities as actress Lindsay Lohan and radio
personality Rush Limbaugh.

CCSA head Michel Perron has urged parents to monitor their medicine
cabinets and rid them of any drugs that aren't being used.

Our view, though, is that parents need to go further. They should lead
by example and, as far as is humanly possible, live a drug-free life.

After all, that's probably the best way to keep their children clean
and sober.