Pubdate: Sun, 31 Dec 2000
Date: 12/31/2000
Source: San Antonio Express-News (TX)
Author: Allan Erickson

The Dec. 23 article "Billboards aim to snuff teen use of marijuana"
would have been funny if the Partnership for a Drug Free America
wasn't such a sad group. Kids have a sixth sense when it comes to
sniffing out hypocrites.

How effective can those billboards be when it is obvious that our
president and vice president were pot smokers? Carl Sagan was a pot
smoker, and he was no dummy.

If we tell the truth, kids might listen. Our own government provides
medical marijuana to patients. Government studies have called cannabis
a low-risk substance.

The PDFA claims success in a 1.5 percent decrease in teen pot use. The
margin for error was greater than that and teen use of ecstasy is
skyrocketing. Drugs are easier to get than alcohol and cheaper and
more potent than ever. This is success?

If they had truly asked any half-educated pot smoker "to come up with
something clever for this billboard" the reply would have been, "Stop
the War on Drugs. Duh."

Allan Erickson,
Eugene, Ore.

Referenced: US TX: Billboards Aim To Snuff Teen Use Of Marijuana,
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n1922/a07.html?1441