Pubdate: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 Source: USA Today (US) Copyright: 2000 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc. Contact: 1000 Wilson Blvd., Arlington VA 22229 Fax: (703) 247-3108 Website: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nfront.htm Author: David C. Leven, deputy director, The Lindesmith Center 'JUST SAY NO' JUST ISN'T ENOUGH As suggested in ''Parents get involved by discussing drugs'' (Life, Tuesday), it is critically important for parents to speak frankly with their children about drugs -- and more parents are doing so. However, increased discussion, even if it may result in greater professed disapproval of drugs by teens, has not, so far, translated into less teen drug use. In 1999, the annual Monitoring the Future Study showed, for example, that the use of marijuana remained stable across age groups. Almost 1 in 4 high school seniors sampled said that they had smoked marijuana over the past month, and 6% said they did so on a daily basis, virtually the same figures as the prior year. The sad truth is that after two decades of the zero-tolerance-based ''just say no'' message, 80% of high school teens experiment with alcohol, 54% have used illicit drugs, while about one-third leave high school as cigarette smokers. None of us wants our teenagers to use drugs. Still, many children at least experiment with drugs. One reason is that they have learned that America is hardly drug-free; there are vast differences between experimentation, abuse and addiction; and the use of one drug does not inevitably lead to the use of others. Even as we stress abstinence, a safety-first strategy is necessary that provides our teens with information and resources so that they do the least harm to themselves and those around them. It needs to be honest and science-based. Students who use marijuana despite our strong admonitions to abstain need to be strongly encouraged to use in moderation and only occasionally -- never at school, work, while playing sports or while driving. If we are going to have a positive impact on teen drug use and not just attitudes, it is our responsibility as parents and teachers to engage students and provide them with credible information so they can make responsible decisions, avoid drug abuse and stay safe. David C. Leven, deputy director The Lindesmith Center New York, N.Y. - --- MAP posted-by: Don Beck