DARRELL PORTER

Paul Splittorff (Royals television announcer and former pitcher) has it
right when he says the message kids should take from the death of Darrell
Porter is "don't even start" using drugs (8/13, Sports, "Darrell Porter's
sad final chapter").

By all accounts, Porter was a good man who made a mistake by getting
involved with drugs. To be sure, not everyone who does pays so high a
price, but the truth is, there is only one guarantee when it comes to
illegal drugs: You can't become addicted or die from using illegal drugs if
you don't start using them.

Addiction proved a tougher opponent for Darrell Porter than any he faced
during his major-league career. Let's hope parents use his example to help
encourage their kids to reject all forms of substance abuse.

Stephen J. Pasierb, President, CEO, Partnership for a Drug-Free America,
New York