Pubdate: Wed, 21 Jan 2004 Source: Airdrie Echo (CN AB) Copyright: 2004 Airdrie Echo Contact: http://www.airdrieecho.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1558 Author: Kevin Allan Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis) ANTI-MADD Dear Editor: MADD has been taken over by the political police. Legal pot will reduce drunk driving deaths. The truth is that all these illicit drugs are less intoxicating than the legal drug alcohol. It seems obvious that the drug with the highest intoxication rate (alcohol) is the drug most dangerous to those around the user or abuser of that drug. This is best described in a recent RCMP report on the Impact of Crime and Substance Abuse in Canadian Society, released April 30, 2002, as summarized by the following statement: "Violent crimes such as murder and assault were more often associated with the use of alcohol, while crimes such as theft and robbery tended to have a stronger link to illegal drugs." So why do we terrorize the illicit drug user when the alcohol user is more dangerous ? It, as in all other reports, showed that alcohol is the drug which is most dangerous to those around the user or abuser of that drug. It also showed how prohibition causes crime by the high cost of illicit drugs on the black market - or else we would be overthrown in our society by the alcohol abusers if the problem was intoxication. Most addicts are alcohol addicts. All we hear about is the evil marijuana, while youths die from alcohol. The police like to say that alcohol is used in moderation, but marijuana is to get high (as high as one drink of alcohol). Youths don't use alcohol in moderation. They lie. That's why it's the number one killer of young people of all drugs. As for driving under the influence of marijuana, alcohol is 40 times more likely to get you killed in a car accident, while pot is twice as likely, yet all we hear from the police is about the influence of marijuana on driving. They lie. This can be checked at: www.cbc.ca/stories/2002/08/07/Consumers/alcohol_driving020807 Media should provide the truth in order to educate readers. - - Kevin Allan, North Vancouver, B.C. - --- MAP posted-by: Josh