INDY'S CORNER: February 12, 2009

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Dear Michael,

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Hi, it's Officer Bob, your sixth-grade  Drug Abuse Resistance Educator.  Remember me?  I guess you probably don't, judging by those pictures flying around of you sharin' the peace pipe!  I hope you don't mind, I got your e-mail address from a friend of a friend.

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First off, congratulations on those big-ol' medals of yours!  I knew you'd be a star someday - heck, we could barely get you out of the pool long enough to come to the auditorium, remember?  Kind of ironic, in hindsight!  Anyway, that was quite an amazing achievement, especially in light of your obvious addiction problem.

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So, Michael, let me cut to the chase. 

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What the heck happened?  Seriously, what part of "Just Say No" didn't you get?  Was I not clear enough when I told you that marijuana is a dangerous gateway drug, that inevitably leads to harder drugs like cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin?  Please tell me you're not already shooting up.   You're not, are you?

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I warned you that one day your college buddies would try to push the "reefer" on you.  Remember the animated film, with the rabbits in the park who hop up to the kid and try to get him hooked on drugs?  Was it too subtle?  Maybe your mind was still on your butterfly stroke.

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Michael, I must warn you once again, if you continue down this road, not having your face on a cereal box will be the least of your worries - think about your face on a mug shot, on your way to the state penitentiary.  You'll become so dependent on marijuana, that all you'll ever want to do is eat your infamous five-thousand-calorie meals, but you'll be too high swim it off, and you'll get all fat and dumpy.  As the THC consumes your brain cells, at first your concentration will suffer, adding seconds to your splits.  Then, soon enough, you won't even be able to swim in a straight line.  The toxic chemicals in the cannabis smoke will weaken your heart, inhibit your oxygen intake, and decrease your muscle tone, costing you your competitive edge.  As your career falls apart, you will turn to harder drugs to numb the pain.  Faster than you can swim an individual medley, the legendary Michael Phelps will be nothing more than a common junkie, living in disgrace on the street.  That one, seemingly harmless bong hit could be the beginning of a long downward spiral, that can only end in tragedy.

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But, Michael, think of me not as a cop, but as your friend.  Officer Bob is here for you.  I understand the pressures on today's young people.  All that training can be very isolating and stressful. 

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Be your own man, and don't fall victim to illegal drugs.  And if you could, please consider making a sizable donation to your local D.A.R.E. program.

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Yours Truly,

Sgt. Robert Weed, Baltimore County P.D.

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As always, the author invites mutually respectful comments from all viewpoints.