From Our Point of View: Drug Abuse Problem Getting Some Attention

NATIONAL attention is being focused this week on the problem of drug abuse, particularly through the proclamation by President Nixon of Drug Abuse Prevention Week and the President's recent statement that "drug addiction among school age youth is increasing at an alarming rate." Hundreds of communities, including Ann Arbor, have already launched surveys of their drug problem. A committee named by Mayor Robert Harris has held a number of meetings and is preparing to make some recommendations. Drug abuse studies at the local level quickly discover that research on the problems is inadequate; that while almost everyone believes the penalties for possession of marijuana are too severe, changes in the law come slowly; that there is a big age gap in the extent of fear of drug usage, and that facilities for treatment of drug abuse victims are sadly lacking. There is disagreement, too, over the effectiveness of drug education efforts in the schools. One of the first problems encountered was that the students knew more about the drugs than their teachers. ANN ARBOR will have to tackle the drug abuse problem without knowing exactly how bad it is here. There seems to be no way of getting dependable statistics on drug use in the schools or in the community. There is no doubt, howevery that it is enough of a problem to provoke concern. One of the positive steps being taken in Ann Arbor involves a group on the campus, associated with the Psychology Department, which is setting up a program to bring help to drug abuse victims "on a bad trip." The program will include an emergency number, teams of persons trained to help someone in distress because of a drug, and a referral service if additional help is needed. The group is seeking a community co-sponsor for what appears to be a worthy and needed program. THE National Institute of Mental Health this week announced the availability of a new publication presenting the latest scientific answers to some of the most often asked questions about drug abuse. Several federal agencies have pooled their knowledge for the book, free copies of which may be obtained from the National Clearinghouse for Drug Abuse Information, National Institute of Mental Health, 5454 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, Md. 20015. President Nixon's stepped-up program in the drug field will include research on marijuana's effects on users, training of professional workers in the drug field and grants to states for establishing training courses for an estimated 150,000 teachers and 75,000 students and community leaders. Education is held forth as the key to easing the drug abuse problem, paffieuíarly in the case of youth. But some early mistakes must not be repeated. The education program must be factual and credible. Young people see hypocrisy in adults' acceptance of alcohol but their panic over youthful drug-taking. What they should remember, however, is that toleration of alcohol is not per se a denial that it is a problem - and a big one.