"Just say no! Is a phrase that is showing up in many places these days. It is on billboards, bumper stickers, in magazines, and it represent the attempt to encourage kids to avoid involvement with drugs. I am not aware of any scientific studies on it effectiveness, but I fear that all this effort will have little real impact on the drug problem facing our nation. The reason for my pessimism is that, as I understood human nature, it is next to impossible to "just say no." Peer pressure is too great, and the desire for acceptance to strong. For many kids, saying no to a friend or a peer means they will receive some form of redicule or rejection that they are not strong enough to withstand for an extended period of time. The young man Daniel was unusual in his ability to stick to his convictions regarding what he would and would not eat, but he had the support of three like-minded friends who were praying for him and encouraging him. The Weakness of "just say no" campaign is that it is attempting to eliminate something without any suggestion of how to fill the hole that is left with something better and more meaningful. The fact is that our Society does not have an adequate answer to replace drugs with something better. ...to be continued