STILL ILLEGAL AFTER ALL THESE YEARS

To the Editor:

The argument for legalizing marijuana (Op-Ed, April 26) falls apart when
one considers the impact on teenagers and children. If society gives
marijuana a green light, more kids will use and abuse the drug.

The majority of teenagers entering drug treatment programs list marijuana
as their primary drug of abuse. For those who've used marijuana without
consequence, this may be hard to believe. But for thousands of kids,
marijuana is not harmless.

Educating young people about the risks of drugs may be imperfect, but
increasingly is proving effective. One published study, for example,
documented a 27 percent decline in marijuana use among high-risk teenagers
exposed to our media-based education campaigns.

Teenagers themselves help shape such communication efforts, which are
lowering social acceptance of marijuana and increasing understanding of the
drug's risks.

STEPHEN J. PASIERB Pres. & Chief Exec., Partnership for a Drug-Free America
New York, April 26, 2004