DARE MESSAGE IMPORTANT

To open a newspaper and find one spread after another put together in
support of young people as an effort to sway kids away from drugs
through explicit information for everyone was, for me, most impressive
(Progress, Oct. 26).

I think the Progress, and the various organizations involved in this
media project have done a remarkable job. Also, the RCMP being shown
in a light where they are reaching out a hand of care with due caution
towards young people was very good because so often the cops are given
such a bad rep and easily disregarded as authority figures.

There was one story told by a father relaying the story about his
drug-addicted son and what the family went through to try and bring
this guy around and learning that addiction does not go away like a
cold. When speaking of his son having to go into the psychiatric
hospital and making this sound like the worst of all worsts was a bit
troubling to me. Let me tell you why.

During the days of drugs, sex and rock and roll when political fever
drove the anti-establishment movement called the hippies of the '60s,
I witnessed things that today send more chills up my spine than
anything have seen or know about now. Of those memories, there are two
situations I would like to make public and hope that maybe someone
will think as a result.

I liked to hang out with artsy people and one of these guys was had a
masters in art history at UBC. His father was a professor there. It
was during the Timothy Leary acid revolution.We thought nothing of
dropping acid and more than one hit at a time. Sometimes these trips
would last for a couple of weeks at a time. That is if you were lucky
enough to come down.

My friend, a total genius, already wanted to expand his mind in an
ethereal manner, you might say. So a group of us went on what we
called then "a run." He never came down. He went absolutely crazy. He
was locked up in an institution. His father transferred to a different
university. They were well know, lived in the velvet class, and now a
son was permanently damaged because of LSD. You don't know what is
going to happen even if you think you do.

Another situation was similar. A group of us went to a concert. We
were sold some drugs; we took them and one girl ended up in an
ambulance. That was the last we saw of her.

The drugs today are worse, I would say, and the culture seems so
totally bent. The point though is I am not afraid to tell you that
anyone of you could end up in psyche, with your faculties disturbed
for life. Or you could end up in an institution, or dead and that is
because you do not know what is going to happen and you really do not
know what is in the drugs.

Are you sure making drug lords rich is more important than making your
own lives rich? Think about it. These stories are everywhere.