The facts about Natural High
By Lisa Garbutt
This letter is in response to George Tsai’s column in Viewpoint
("George, you’ve come a long way, baby!" Jan. 31). Ever since
Tsai’s first column this school year (Oct. 11), he has chosen to
target Leslie Damski and the Natural High Committee in an attempt
to voice his beliefs about having fun with alcohol and other drugs
(AODs).
There are several facts I would like Tsai to know because it is
evident that he is completely ignorant about Natural High and its
function. He has used erroneous information, degrading language and
even slanderous name calling to get his views across.
First I would like to make it clear that Damski is not the
"director" of the Natural High Committee. She does not even belong
to the committee. UCLA Natural High is comprised of student
volunteers and is student run. We would greatly appreciate if when
Tsai chooses to make comments about Natural High, he would note
this fact and not just make up committee members.
Secondly, neither Leslie Damski, who is the Substance Abuse
Prevention Coordinator in Student Health Service/Health Education,
nor the members of Natural High sent a copy of one of his Viewpoint
articles to his parents. Finally, UCLA’s Natural High Program is
not alone. There is a nationwide, campus-based program network
instituted by the Department of Education.
Contrary to Tsai’s remarks, we are not an anti-alcohol program
nor are we prohibitionists telling students that the only way to
have a good time is our way (this should really shock Tsai). We
were established primarily to offer alternative programming to the
students on campus who prefer to have a good time without using
AODs. As a matter of statistical fact, 39 percent of the student
body on UCLA’s campus, prefer to be in a social environment where
AODs are not the focal point of activity and approximately 19
percent choose not to drink at all. Had Tsai taken a moment to call
Natural High he wou1d have found out what Natural High is really
all about.
Tsai once claimed that he was "advocating responsibility and
moderation" ("On a quest for a satisfactory high … natural or
not," Oct. 11). If this were true, he probably would not be working
against the efforts of Natural High by wrongfully depicting Natural
High and calling students and professionals on this campus by
slanderous names. Instead, he would be working in conjunction with
our educational efforts.
Garbutt is a fifth-year senior and the historian of the UCLA’s
Natural High Committee.