DRUG USERS IN DENIAL

Regarding your editorial (4-30-02) about the Sanford/Lee County Drug
and Crime Prevention Task Force ("Drug Task force is taken to task"),
any attempts to reduce the use of drugs will always be resisted by
two profound human traits - pleasure seeking and denial.

People wouldn't take drugs if they didn't get pleasure and mood
alteration from it. We live in a society which tolerates and even
encourages using alcohol, drugs, pills, etc., to change your mood if
you need to. Denial is rampant.

As a professional counselor for more than 20 years, I've had hundreds
of people tell me that, despite obvious evidence to the contrary,
they had no drug problem! One specific suggestion would be for your
newspaper to run a list of Narcotics Anonymous meetings in Lee and
surrounding counties. I've seen first hand the power of the 12-step
approach of NA to help those who desire to stop abusing drugs and to
stay sober.

Kenneth Smith