DRUGS AND ROCK? SAY IT AIN'T SO

In recent months, the sporting world has been rocked by a steroid
scandal that has tarnished the achievements of some of baseball's
biggest stars. This week, a new investigation into illegal steroids is
threatening to destroy the image of yet another of our pop cultural
pillars: rock stars.

A report in the Albany, N.Y., Times Union on Sunday linked a number of
prominent performers, among them rappers 50 Cent and Timbaland, to a
Florida osteopath facing a federal indictment for illegally selling
prescription drugs, including steroids and human growth hormone (HGH).
According to the Times Union, these drugs could minimize the effects
of ageing, thus helping today's young singers -- think Britney Spears
and Christina Aguilera -- maintain teenage complexions and rock-solid
abs into their 40s.

We hope that the music world will move quickly to clean up its act. As
in sports, it is unacceptable that some musicians would seek to gain
advantage over their competitors by taking performance-enhancing
drugs. It goes without saying that anyone guilty of taking steroids --
or any illegal drug, for that matter -- should have their gold and
platinum records revoked. Furthermore, billboard charts should include
an asterisk next to their names. Drugs have never had any place in the
rock world. And we must keep it that way.

An investigation should be conducted: We must get "behind the music,"
as it were. An inquiry may very well shatter our image of the
clean-living, well-mannered, public-serving rock star. But such
disclosure is necessary for the long-term health of the music world.
Unless we can be sure that music stars are clean, how can we possibly
keep looking on performers such as Ms. Spears and Mr. Cent as role
models?