Pubdate: Wed, 2 Sep 98 Source: Des Moines Register (IA) Contact: (515) 286-2511 Website: http://www.dmregister.com/ Author: Alan Mason Section: Opinion/Letters A BETTER DRUG AD The one question Lovell Beaulieu didn't ask himself or your readers in his July 18 column, "Harsh Reality of Drug Use's Damage": Are the new anti-drug ads realistic, or even based on facts? It is hard to see how an "over the top" anti-drug campaign that lumps drugs such as marijuana in with "hard" drugs such as cocaine, heroin or methamphetamine is going to have any long-term positive effect on young people. If the makers of these ads wanted to convey a realistic message, they might consider showing people convicted of marijuana possession locked up in overcrowded prisons with rapists, murderers and other violent felons, many of whom will see the light of day sooner than the drug user due to mandatory minimum-sentencing laws. Alan Mason, 45291 Jojoba Rd., Aguanga, Calif. - --- Checked-by: Patrick Henry