The other point that I think is important is the biomedical point which you raise. The biomedical point is we now have recent studies indicating that nicotine and cocaine and heroin and alcohol have the same kinds of effects on dopamine levels, which are the levels that give us pleasure, in the pathways to the brain. We have one of those recent studies indicates that marijuana is physically addictive, not simply psychologically addictive, and the head of the National Institute of Drug Abuse has indicated that there are more than 100,000 Americans, most of them teens, in treatment because of marijuana use. So I think we ve got to call marijuana from now on a hard drug just like heroin and cocaine and acid. Well, I think the role for the government is greatly to step up biomedical research, both in substance abuse and in adolescence.
Adolescence is the most neglected period of life.
It s very important that we really spend money to learn how to influence teens and what they re going through. But by and large, most of the recommendations in the Commission report are for parents, be involved in their kid s life, you know, go to the school activities, help them with their homework, pursue religious activities together for schools, for churches. This battle is not a battle that s going to be won or lost in Washington. What we re talking about is something that s going to be fought out over the kitchen table, in the living room, in the classroom, in the schoolyard, in the church pew, in the neighborhood. Well, Mr. Califano, thanks for being with us.