Pubdate: Fri, 29 Aug 2008 Source: Alberni Valley Times (CN BC) Copyright: 2008 Alberni Valley Times Contact: http://www.canada.com/vancouverisland/albernivalleytimes/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4043 Author: Russell Barth THE REAL DRUG PROBLEM THE EDITOR: Just a thought: Since DARE (Dug Abuse Resistance Education) was started in the mid 80s, teen drug use has nearly quadrupled in Canada. It might have something to do with the fact that DARE exaggerates the so called dangers of marijuana, yet fails to admit to pot's myriad medical applications. Junk food will kill many times more Canadians this year than all illegal drugs combined, yet we are still hung up on kids not using drugs. Further, we live in a drug culture where booze, fast cars, fast food, and violent video games are advertised in the afternoon during The Simpsons, Red Bull, sugar, fat, and salt are sold to pre-teens in convenience stores, and pills are advertised as a cure for everything (even for things that don't need to be cured). This culture promotes power, sex, fun, thrills, law-scoffing, and prestige. Then we wonder why kids use drugs? Do we think kids don't notice this incredible hypocrisy? A ruse by any other name.... Russell Barth Patients Against Ignorance and Discrimination on Cannabis - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom