Pubdate: Sun, 26 Jul 1998
Date: 07/26/1998
Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)
Author: Peter McWilliams
Website: http://www.latimes.com/

In your July 21 editorial endorsement of the use of drug sniffing dogs
by the Los Angeles Unified School District, you say these "amiable"
Labradors and golden retrievers "are trained to detect marijuana,
cocaine, herion, methamphetamines, alcohol, a few medications and gunpowder."

Why not tobacco?

By including the nonaddictive and relatively harmless marijuana and
excluding tobacco, one of the most damaging and addictive of all
drugs, the LAUSD sends a very clear message to kids: "Tobacco is less
harmful than marijuana. "The best and brightest students, who have
done their scientific homework, will get a second unfortunate message:
"Authority figures - from our teachers to the free press - don't know
what they're talking about when it comes to marijuana, so why should
we listen to them when it comes to other drugs?" Why, indeed?

Peter McWilliams
Los Angeles