Boy Scouts Launch Drive to Combat Drug Abuse

WASHINGTON — The Boy Scouts of America on Thursday announced a nationwide, multimedia effort to help combat drug abuse among Scout-age youths.

“The country is in the midst of a serious drug epidemic,” said Ben H. Love, chief Scout executive. “Taking drugs is not just dangerous, it is deadly.”

Love said: “We are seeing kids--only 9, 10 or 11 years old--playing a deadly game of Russian roulette with their hearts, their livers, and in particular, with that most marvelous and delicate organ, their brains.”

He said the organization is distributing 4 million printed brochures to its 411 local councils across the country.

Videotape for Leaders

Besides distributing printed materials, the campaign includes a 16-minute videotape intended for training Scout leaders, as well as radio spots and billboards designed to carry the anti-drug message.

Love said the campaign is not being initiated because of a drug abuse problem in the organization and said he had no data on drug use by Scouts.

Appearing with Love at a news conference was Dr. Charles R. Schuster, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Schuster said that although marijuana use by high school seniors declined to 5% this school year from a 1979 peak of 11.5%, use of cocaine remains a serious problem.

‘More to Be Done’

“Although we’ve made progress, a great deal more remains to be done,” he said.

Dr. Douglas Talbott, a drug abuse expert who advises the scouting organization, said he is especially concerned about “the deadliest drug combination there is--beer and marijuana and driving at night.”

The Boy Scouts’ material includes a message from President Reagan and his wife, Nancy.