Mediahype Drugwar Policies
The Oregonian likes War on Drugs advertising

Keeping kids off drugs using messages

July 10, 1998 To the Oregonian:

Talk about self-serving editorials! The Oregonian's "Hard-hitting ads on hard drugs" (Org., 7-9-98) takes the cake.

Caught up in the message-mania which interprets everything as a symbol for something else, the media naturally eats up the Clinton plan to spend $1 billion on an ad-campaign to convince young kids to reject drugs. Guess whose pockets the $1 Billion will end up in? - And they give sexy Bill lots of great press in return.

Instead of the symbolism of messages, the $1 billion should be spent on providing kids with a real alternative to drug-induced euphoria. There are millions of kids who would benefit from the opportunity to spend a couple of hours after school on a sports team, or in a school play, or making music in an extra-curricular band. This is the stuff of real behavior and not mere symbolism of "sound-bytes" and bumper-sticker philosophy. __The Knight's Apprentice