DE PERE -- Thank you for your recent extensive coverage of the high costs of Wisconsin's drug culture. Thank you also for your article about the first year of De Pere High School's random drug testing program. According to the story, "less than 1 percent, or fewer than 10 students, tested positive for drugs." That's less than 3.64 students, which includes an unspecified number of whom refused to submit to the test. It could be inferred from these results that drugs are not a problem at De Pere High School, but there is ample evidence to the contrary. That hardly any student tested positive for drugs indicates this is not an effective program for identifying and helping those students with drug-abuse and addiction problems. [continues 74 words]
Smoke and political fire in the park Hempfest '98, the annual marijuana political festival, filled a Seattle waterfront park with the plant's advocates yesterday. But it will be an initiative on the November ballot that will tell how much power lies behind the show. An estimated 35,000 people, according to the Seattle Police Department, came to Myrtle Edwards Park to display their affection for the weed and their support for the initiative that would legalize the drug for medical use. [continues 555 words]
