A presentation at 7 p.m. tonight at the Albert Lea High School auditorium should have value for anybody who has children in their lives. The program on drugs will leave all who attend better prepared to spot the signs of drug or alcohol use and how to deal with the problem if it happens.

Keeping kids clean and safe from the problems of drugs starts with parents, grandparents and other involved adults having the right information. We hear about the war on drugs and think about the FBI battling drug traffickers and arresting street dealers, but the real front-lines of the war on drugs is on the demand side, in homes, where adults have the power to get involved and try to prevent drug use.

Attending the meeting could also have the effect of demystifying an issue that isn’t always openly discussed. Pretending the issue doesn’t exist won’t make it go away &045; in fact, it may have the opposite effect.