Pubdate: Fri, 04 May 2001
Source: Times Record (ME)
Copyright: 2001 Times Record Inc., ASC Inc
Contact:  http://www.timesrecord.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/705
Author: Myron Von Hollingsworth

ALCOHOL AS DRUG IGNORED

To the editor:

Thank you for publishing Dr. Stephan Arndt's letter (April 18, "Corrects 
THC numbers"). I read the original article,"The seductive allure of pot and 
alcohol" (April 6), online at the Media Awareness Project Web site.

Another element that is absurd is the fact that there were no broad-based, 
credible studies of the THC content of cannabis in the '60s and '70s. When 
Dr. Arndt mentions the irreparable harm done once credibility is 
compromised, DEA-land's anti-drug, public service television ad campaign 
comes to mind.

The financially and politically influential alcohol lobby successfully 
opposes the inclusion of alcohol in the government's anti-drug ad campaign 
and in doing so, perpetuates the ignorance that kills our children.

I would add that the anti-drug ad campaign begins to look extremely stupid 
when one realizes that the very, very expensive ad campaign that ignores 
alcohol - which kills more people than all illegal substances combined - 
concentrates on cannabis, which has no lethal dose and whose 
pharmacological effects have not caused a single death in over 5,000 years.

Once people (children?) realize they've been lied to about cannabis, they 
figure they were also lied to when they were told that heroin and speed and 
inhalants and alcohol are very addictive or deadly or both.

Myron Von Hollingsworth Fort Worth, Texas
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom