DRUG EDUCATION NEEDED

The headline above expresses one of the greatest needs in the world today.
We do need a lot of good education about the harmful effects of both
legally sold and illegal traffic in drugs.

During the 58 years that I have served as a minister, pastor, a hospital
chaplain certified to serve in a psychiatric and substance abuse treatment
facility by the Association of Mental Health Clergy and the Professional
Chaplains Association, and since 1988 licensed as a counselor in the state
of Louisiana, it has been my personal experience to work with a large
number of people at many levels of drug abuse and the tragic damage done to
persons, families and to society.

It has also been my responsibility and privilege to teach a series of
courses, offered to ministers and lay people from over the state for
post-graduate and continuing education credit, on a dozen topics in the
field of counseling.

Many of the pastors and others have gone back to their places of service to
provide help and education to persons, families and people in their
communities with problems that have resulted from substance abuse. You can
readily see that l have been very much involved in the lives of those
suffering from the tragic effects of drug abuse.

It is an insult to those who have served in the trenches trying to help the
victims of drug abuse, like Assistant District Attorney Loren Lampert,
Juvenile Probation Director Larry Spottsville and many others, for anyone
to suggest that the solution of the drug problem in this country is in the
wide open legalization of all drugs.

Some people who talk a lot about freedom do not have much understanding of
the meaning of true liberty. It is not in throwing all controls to the wind
and allowing people to do anything they desire no matter how much others
are hurt by their actions. This results only in anarchy and chaos.

Freedom in any life situation is based on responsible behavior toward other
people. There is no such thing as freedom without responsibility. A person
who does not understand this is certainly not a good candidate to serve in
any capacity that plans to help people who suffer from the ravages of drug
abuse.

Carlton Vance

Pineville