In his sports page column (BDN, August 26), Gary Thorne finds it distressing that Mark McGwire’s use of a performance-enhancing drug that is banned by the International Olympic Committee and the National Football League will encourage the use of that same drug by high school and college athletes.

He further determines that the press is hypocritical for not bringing the regular use of amphetamines and caffeine to the public forum.

Finally, he doesn’t think McGwire’s use of the drug should even be an issue because he’s such a nice guy and, after all, baseball hasn’t made the drug’s use illegal.

Sounds to me like Mr. Thorne has made the arguments necessary to convince thinking people that both McGwire’s and other athletes use of such drugs should be made an issue of. Patricia Jenkins Bangor

Mark McGwire will no doubt break the home run record. He is a good guy and he does a lot for kids but is he sending the wrong message? By his own admission, he takes an over-the-counter drug which is legal in baseball but illegal in football and the Olympics.

He is a real big man and looks to be very strong. I don’t think he needs to take any kind of drug, legal or not. Roger Maris was a great guy even if he was a Yankee. When he was hitting home runs there was never any talk about him taking anything; he was just a great ball player, as is McGwire.

McGwire is a great role model for kids and a lot of adults, so I hope he does away with whatever he’s talking as he doesn’t need it. A drug is a drug, legal or illegal. Don Smart Old Town