Drug problem

Sam Johnson, member of Congress, 3rd District, Plano, wrote Oct. 31: Illegal
drug use is at its highest level in 10 years, imperiling the safety, welfare
and very lives of the children of North Texas.

Rep. Johnson proved in the first sentence of his letter that the preaching,
"feel good" solutions such as Red Ribbon Week have been a dismal failure.
This puts him in the company of the researchers who have shown that DARE and
related programs simply don't work, no matter how much all of us wish they
did.

There are studies that show that programs of more depth, which involve
closer contact with the children and less structured participation by the
children themselves, are more effective.

As long as we remain wedded to what sounds good instead of what works, to
what is cheap and convenient and misleading instead of to what is honest and
more difficult, no progress will be made.

JERRY EPSTEIN, Vice president, Drug Policy Forum of Texas, Houston