Pubdate: Sat,  2 Aug 2003
Source: Jewish Bulletin (CA)
Copyright: 2003, San Francisco Jewish Community Publications Inc.
Contact:  http://www.jewishsf.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2771
Note: Letters may not exceed 200 words.
Author: Steve Beitler

DEEP FLAWS

Your July 18 article titled "White House aims to combat teen drug use with 
faith" described important issues regarding the relationship between public 
officials and organized religion. However, the piece overlooked an equally 
important reason why Jews, and all Americans, should be very skeptical of 
this effort.

Unless the program embodies a total change of direction by the Office of 
National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the effort described will extend that 
office's long record of misinformation, reliance on ideology rather than 
science and contempt for the intelligence and experience of teenagers.

These and other deep flaws in our approach to teens and drugs help ensure 
that this issue is always with us.

The question of how government and religious institutions should work 
together is important. It's just as important to recognize that, after 30 
years of the approach taken by the ONDCP, the results are in. Just about 
half of American high school graduates will have used an illegal substance.

Overall, more Americans are addicted to, dependent on, abusing and using a 
wider variety of substances than ever before.

Steve Beitler

Palo Alto
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MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens