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Path: utzoo!watmath!sunybcs!colonel
From: colonel@sunybcs.UUCP (Col. G. L. Sicherman)
Newsgroups: net.followup
Subject: Re: acid tattoos
Message-ID: <355@sunybcs.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 10-Jul-86 11:01:06 EDT
Article-I.D.: sunybcs.355
Posted: Thu Jul 10 11:01:06 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 11-Jul-86 08:39:18 EDT
References: <1498@vax135.UUCP>
Organization: Save the Dodoes Foundation
Lines: 110

[Sent to Ms. Grimes on July 10.]

Dear Ms. Grimes,

	I have children too, so I understand your concern.  But since
information about nonexistent dangers is dangerous, let me explain
how I (and others on the Net) recognized the "Blue Star" article as a
hoax.

> The notice below was received from the Hazlet Township Schools.
> 
> The message that appears below is being shared with you for your
> information.  Although I am not aware that the material described is
> being circulated in the Hazlet area, I nevertheless do believe you 
> should be alerted to its existence.
> 			Sincerely,
> 			Dr. Joseph A. Dispenziere
> 			Superintendent of Schools

In most cities superintendents of schools are chosen from political
clubs.  Buffalo's superintendents have been boneheads for as long as
I can remember, and I expect that superintendents in other cities are
no better.

Dr. Dispenziere says that he believes that the drugs in question exist,
though he has no evidence for it.  Thus he did _not_ check with the police.

> 		A Warning to Parents
> 
> According to San Diego police authorities, a form of tattoo--
> BLUE STAR -- is readily available to young children.  This is a 
> new way of getting ACID to unsuspecting kids.  It is in the form of 
> a small sheet of white paper containing blue stars in the size of a
> pencil eraser, with each STAR impregnated with LSD, and can be
> removed from the paper and placed in the mouth.  Absorption can also
> occur through the skin by simply handling the paper tattoo!

Hoaxers love circumstancial detail, and this paragraph contains plenty
of it.  Typically, it also contains some glaring absurdities.

(1) If the tattoo contains LSD, why are people distributing it to young
    children?  Young children have little money, are likely to inform
    parents or teachers, and are more likely to be scared than exhilarated
    by LSD.
(2) Why would an "unsuspecting" kid peel off a tattoo and place
    it in his _mouth?_
(3) The raw materials for LSD are tightly controlled.  For some years
    now, LSD has been notoriously hard to obtain.  No dealer who had
    any would distribute it to young children, especially since LSD
    is not addicting.

The only way to explain these manifest absurdities is to conclude that they
were invented to alarm the reader.

> There are also brightly colored tabs, resembling postage stamps, which
> have pictures of Superman, Mickey Mouse, and other Disney characters,
> and are placed in red cardboard boxes wrapped in foil in a clear,
> lock-type bag.  A young child could happen upon these and have a fatal
> TRIP.  It is also feared that little children could be given a free 
> TATTOO by older children who want to have some fun.  It is important
> that all parents be alerted in case their child is involved, even
> innocently!

Also typically, there is a grain of truth here.  In the '60s, LSD was
distributed on paper tabs, and some was marketed with cartoon
characters as a kind of trademark.  Indeed, some young children may
well have discovered such tabs and "tripped out" ... 20 years ago.

But this paragraph can be recognized as unauthoritative from its
language.  "It is also feared ..."; "It is important that ..." There
is no hint of who fears or who finds it important.  Police statements
do not sound like this!

>              As you know, stickers are very popular now, especially
> among small children.  BE CAREFUL!

The clincher!  What should you do if your child has drug-impregnated
transfers or stickers?  If this article were genuine, it would tell
you to notify the authorities, giving the name and number of a govern-
ment agency.  This article leaves you in the dark about what to do.
Of course--its only purpose is to upset people!

Finally, there is NO SIGNATURE.  The superintendent of schools got the
article secondhand.

		*		*		*

Now, what should parents do?

1. If you still think the article is honest, call the police and
   find out instead of debating it on the Net.

2. Learn to recognize hoaxes.  If you have ever received chain letters,
   you may have observed in them the characteristic traits of a hoax:
   much circumstancial detail, vagueness about sources and motives,
   and statements calculated to provoke strong emotional reactions.

3. If you must post rumors to the Net before checking them, post them
   to net.rumor.

4. Get some reliable information about how drugs are distributed in
   schools.  Real drug dealers don't use elaborate subterfuges and
   disguises for their products--they don't need to.  (But some of
   them issue phony articles to divert attention from the way they
   really do business!)
-- 
Col. G. L. Sicherman
UU: ...{rocksvax|decvax}!sunybcs!colonel
CS: colonel@buffalo-cs
BI: csdsicher@sunyabva