DETER DRUGS WITH DOGS

The Salt Lake Tribune has published many articles on drug use in the
juvenile generation. I support The Tribune's effort to protect our
children and eradicate this great evil in our midst. American schools
are high priority targets for conscienceless drug pushers whose greed
regularly puts the health and lives of our children at risk. These
treacherous criminals prosper in spite of more than $20 billion spent
every year by the federal government in the drug war. The drug
problem among juveniles is severe; federal remedies are not working.
Just suppose that $2 billion or $3 billion of the ineffective
drug-war money was spent on drug dogs with handlers to protect the
perimeters of the nation's public schools.

Dog teams on patrol in paramilitary gear, just off the school
grounds, might be a powerful deterrent for drug pushers.

The pushers might leave the schools alone, and consequently, the drug
trade among children might be cut substantially. Additional
protection for the children can be obtained by training dogs to
detect firearms before they enter the school yards.

Safety at airports is currently improved by dog teams; school safety
is equally important.

Robert Heath

Sandy