Drugs are bad. Really bad. Super duper bad. If you don't believe me, just ask the nearest child. They learn that Drugs Are Bad before they learn how to tie their shoes, and they're reminded of it constantly. One of the first big events at our public school this past year was an entire "Red Ribbon Week," devoted to spreading the Drugs Are Bad message through songs, skits, lectures and possibly interpretive dance. It was a relentless onslaught of information. At the end, the children signed contracts stating they wouldn't abuse drugs or alcohol. I'm happy to report that so far, the entire kindergarten class has lived up to their word.

Teaching our kids that drugs and alcohol can be dangerous seems like a no-brainer. But it's possible that a bit of moderation may be in order, unless we want to raise a generation of mini-narcs. Even now, months after Red Ribbon Week, my daughter will gasp in horror if she spots me pouring a glass of wine. "Is that alcohol?," she'll demand accusingly. "That's poison!" Trying to convince a disapproving five-year-old that an occasional glass of Chardonnay at the end of the day isn't going to kill Mommy isn't exactly my dream of parenthood.

When a child sounds out the words and is scandalized to realize that they sell drugs -- right down the street at Sav-on -- it may be fair to say that we've gone too far.

This point was hammered home at a recent Daisy Girl Scout Meeting. (The Daisies are pre-Brownies. The girls are five- and six-year-olds who are as interested in what's for snack as they are in reciting the Girl Scout Promise).  We were working on a badge -- of course we were, badges are the raison d'etre for Scouts -- dubbed "Be Your Best!" We'd gone over nutrition, exercise, stress management (!) and the environment. Now it was time for "avoiding harmful substances." Fair enough.

Then we took a close look at the suggested activities: First, we were supposed to tell the girls facts like: "Marijuana is a 'gateway' drug. That means that people who use marijuana often go on to use heavier drugs." OK, possibly good information. "Cocaine is a white powder made from Coca bush leaves. Sniffed or snorted, usually from a smooth surface like a mirror or glass table, divided by a razor blade, the powder is sniffed into one nostril with a straw." Hmm. Now we're giving five-year-olds instructions on how to do cocaine.

Oh well, let's read on. The helpful booklet suggests that we play drug "Jeopardy"! Here are some of the suggested true-or-false questions: "Cocaine and crack are made of the same thing." (True: Cocaine is a powder, and crack is a chip or a rock.) "When needles are shared by heroin users, it is healthier and saves money." (False: Dirty needles spread diseases like Hepatitis and AIDS.) "Teenagers cannot become addicted to drugs." (False: They can. Anyone can become addicted to drugs – no matter how young or old.)

The troop leader and I exchanged dismayed glances. Was it really necessary for these little girls to know the difference between snorting a line and smoking crack? Do they have a burning need to know that when shooting up, clean needles are best? If we tell them that, we'll have to tell them about AIDS. And if we talk about AIDS, we'll have to talk about unprotected sex. Which means they'll need to know what sex is.

And as for the final question, well, while theoretically anyone can become addicted to drugs, no matter their age, it's a pretty safe bet that the kindergarten crowd doesn't know where to score.

So after a whispered conversation, we closed the Girl Scout handbook and set it aside to focus on a harmful substance that all of the girls could avoid: too much television. The discussion was lively, and the girls came up with a solid list of things you could do instead of watch TV. True, they don't know about dirty needles and smoking crack, but there's time yet for those conversations.

In fact, it's probably part of the first grade curriculum.