Pubdate: Mon, 11 Oct 1999
Source: Amarillo Globe-News (TX)
Copyright: 1999 Amarillo Globe-News
Contact:  http://amarillonet.com/
Forum: http://208.138.68.214:90/eshare/server?action4
Author: Daniel Goldman

OUR DRUG HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF

In your recent editorial, "U.S. drug legalization an unnecessary surrender,"
many statements concerning the war on drugs were intriguing, while many were
absolutely misguided.

To start, if drug czar Barry McCaffrey, a Vietnam veteran, is in charge of
this now 30-years-long war, what makes anyone think the results will be any
different here than they were in Vietnam?

Like alcohol prohibition, drug prohibition has cut the number of abusers
significantly.

Like alcohol prohibition, when the laws are removed, the nation will not be
under siege by masses of drug abusers, no longer productively working but
permanently stoned-out.

That was not the case then, and it will not be the case when the war on
drugs is finally over.

Gov. Johnson is right.

We will not be able to rid ourselves of this public-health problem, by
locking up all the people unfortunate enough to be caught by law
enforcement, unlike Gov. George W. Bush, who was able to evade detection
while using cocaine.

And what makes you think there is any less cost to the families of those
sent to prison for mandatory sentences when the so-called criminals never
did any damage to any person or property?

What about the misery of those who must deal with a loved one behind bars
for years, perhaps the most important years of a child growing up?

It costs seven times as much to deal with a person via the prison system
than it does to use counseling and treatment.

One need only look west to Arizona to see the success they are having with
one harm-reduction approach.

Law enforcement may have a role to play, but a successful campaign against
illicit drug abuse will favor education, rehabilitation and treatment over
putting people in cages for extended periods of time.

It hasn't worked so far to end people's cravings for drugs; the future will
not be any different.

Daniel Goldman, Madison, Wis.

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