COLUMN DID NOT HIT THE REAL TARGET

Stoneham Safety Officer Laurence Rotondi's intentions for writing his
article, "Teens continue to be tempted by marijuana and cocaine" of
2/23/05, were undoubtedly good. The results from attempts such as
his, on the other hand, have been bad. Overblown scare propaganda has
not and will not stop kids from trying marijuana, whether it
successfully frightens parents or not. There are good reasons why
kids should not try marijuana and most of those reasons hold true for
any mind altering substances. There is no reason to resort to "Reefer
Madness" tactics.

There are many good reasons why Officer Rotondi should not do so.
Officer Rotondi is in a unique position where he can be seen as an
authority on safety and drugs.

When he writes things that are unsupportable, he looses credibility
and his unique opportunity with it. In 1997 sociologist Dr. Lynn
Zimmer and pharmacologist Dr. John Morgan published "Marijuana Myths,
Marijuana Facts", which is available at Stoneham Library upon request.

There's a good chance at least some Stoneham High School students have
seen it. It addresses many of the "Myths" Officer Rotondi reiterated.
For instance, Rotondi wrote, "...marijuana impair(s) the immune
system..." This myth is addressed in chapter 14 of the "Myths" book
where the doctors respond by stating, "There is no evidence that
marijuana users are more susceptible to infections than nonusers."
Rotondi wrote of a mythical Fetal Marijuana Syndrome. The doctors
address that in chapter 13 saying, "Studies of newborns, infants and
children show no consistent physical, developmental or cognitive
related to prenatal marijuana exposure. The administration of
hundreds of tests to older children has revealed only minor
differences between the offspring of marijuana users and nonusers, and
some are positive rather than negative." He wrote that, "Heavy
marijuana use by males may lower sperm count and cause abnormal sperm
production," and "Marijuana use by teenage girls may impair hormone
production, menstrual cycles and fertility." The doctors respond to
that myth in chapter 12 saying, "There is no evidence that marijuana
causes infertility in men or women.

There is no evidence that marijuana delays adolescent sexual
development..." He wrote that a, "...student who uses marijuana is 60
times more likely to use cocaine." The doctors, in chapter 4,
explain, "Marijuana does not cause people to use hard drugs.

What the gateway theory presents as a causal explanation is a
statistical association between common and uncommon drugs...Marijuana
is the most popular illegal drug in the United States today.

Therefore, people who have used less popular drugs, such as heroin,
cocaine and LSD, are likely to have used marijuana.

Indeed, for the large majority of people, marijuana is a terminus
rather than a gateway drug." There were so many myths in Rotondi's
article I could go on ad nauseum. Suffice it to say that, he should
become more familiar with the real problems associated with children
using marijuana and speak to those issues, rather than damage his
credibility with ineffective fear mongering.

Bill Downing

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