Pubdate: Mon, 29 Mar 1999
Source: Washington Times (DC)
Copyright: 1999 News World Communications, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.washtimes.com/

NET BECOMES BATTLEGROUND IN DRUG WAR 

New Sites Rebut Pro-Pot Messages

Children searching the Internet for information about drugs will find
about  1 million "hits," many of which tell them how to buy, sell and
grow marijuana.

Yahoo and Altavista search engines feature Web sites ranging from how
to smoke banana peels to passing a drug test with drugs in your system
to properly  tending a marijuana garden.

But the White House and members of Congress hope to combat this
message and drug use among youth with the introduction of two
innovative Web sites where  parents and children can find information
on fighting drugs.

"We must ensure that this medium of distributing information works for
us and not against us," said Rep. Jim Kolbe, Arizona Republican.

Mr. Kolbe is one of many representatives who support America Online,
ABC/Disney and the White House Office of National Drug Control
Policy's media  campaign for drug prevention, which is now moving into
the on-line community  with the two Web sites.

"Unlike advertising the traditional media outreach, the Internet
transcends geographical and economic boundaries and allows new
communities to come together in an interactive, substantive way," said
Gen. Barry R. McCaffrey, director of the White House drug control
office and leader of the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign.

The first Web site, ABC/Disney's www.Freevibe.com, is geared toward
children ages 10-13 with an interactive, trendy appeal to drug-related
information. Questions such as "How to say no" and "Why people take
drugs" are addressed and  kids will also find games, news and links
that discourage drug use.

America Online's Parents Drug Resource Center guides parents in
recognizing  and preventing drug use by their teens. Warning signs for
parents are physical  changes as well as differences in personality
and behavior. They can talk to  other parents who have dealt with
similar situations. The AOL keyword for the  site is "Drug Help."

"The Center is . . . reaching into every community, even on-line
communities, to help kids learn the truth about drug use so that they
can lead  clean, healthy lives," Gen. McCaffrey said in a note to
parents on the Web  site.

This is a step in the right direction, said Sue Rusche, director of
the National Families in Action. It is unsafe for children even to
research the Internet on the subject of drugs, she said.

"We are deeply concerned about the Web sites put out by people who
think drugs should be legalized and advocate for that, but we are
delighted to hear  of new Web sites providing good information for
parents and kids," she said.

The Internet is dominated by those who want to see drugs legalized
because  this is the general consensus, said Allen St. Pierre,
director of the National  Organization for the Reform of Marijuana
Laws.

"AOL polls show that people are in favor of reform," he said. "These
media groups and the government want to put these voices aside."

Mr. St. Pierre said the two newly released sites are misleading
because they are not based on scientific information.

Claims of marijuana as a gateway drug that is addictive are false,
according  to scientific and governmental research, he noted. Also, he
added, this  research shows that marijuana does not cause physical
withdrawal or hurt the  body.

"Government is not going to get the desired effect," Mr. St. Pierre
said. "The harder they push, the more kids use drugs."

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