Hallucinating About Drug Ads

[SmokeWeed]

The clear-headed Government Accountability Office has confirmed what most of us could have guessed: Advertising doesn't deter kids from taking illegal drugs.

In fact, according to an independent study, in some cases the ads increase drug use.

Similar findings have debunked the popular DARE program, in which law-enforcement officers visit schools.

Given the federal government's incredible debts, you might assume that the Bush administration and Congress would be delighted to stop spending money - on top of the $1.2 billion they've squandered on such feel-good ads since 1998.

But you probably would be wrong. Politicians want voters to believe that they know what to do about problems, and are doing it.

Anti-drug ads might do no good. They might, in fact, do harm.

But if politicians have no real answer to deterring drug use, they'll give us a phony answer.

Or as the ads might put it: This is your congressman. This is your congressman on the campaign trail.

Newshawk: *********** - 420 Magazine
Source: Star-News (NC)
Pubdate: Tue, 05 Sep 2006
Copyright: 2006 Wilmington Morning Star
Contact: letters@wilmingtonstar.com
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