Pubdate: Wed, 15 Aug 2001 Source: West Hawaii Today (HI) Copyright: 2001 West Hawaii Today Contact: http://westhawaiitoday.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/644 Author: Quinn C. Hoyer LOSING THE 'WAR' Editor: A recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center has shown that 74 percent of Americans believe the current U.S. drug policy of arrest, incarceration and interdiction is not working. We believe the use of force to treat a health problem is not the right thing to do. Basing "drug policy" on the actions of the worst abusers, those who harm others, is like basing our "fast food" policy on a 600 hundred pound person. Only drug dealers, criminals and corrupt government officials thrive in a prohibition society. Who loses? The American people do. Have we already forgotten the devastating effects of alcohol prohibition to this country? Here on the Big Island, we have a similar situation with the prohibited substance "ice." After 30 years of increasingly severe criminal penalties and hundreds of billions of dollars spent on this "war," the "drug problem" is as bad as ever. We don't need statistics to see the worsening signs every day. Why has the drug problem only gotten out of control recently? Could it be the lure of the $700 billion Americans spend on illegal drugs that end up in these criminal dealer's hands yearly? If all drugs were legalized today, wouldn't every single drug dealer be out of business tomorrow? And isn't that what we really want? To reduce the harm caused by the abuse of drugs, including tobacco and alcohol? To protect our children from unnecessary exposure to these harmful substances, rather then sending them out among these predators that we allow to profit by getting our kids hooked on drugs? What about creating an environment where people who want to break their drug addiction can receive treatment - without having to get arrested first? Now if we can only convince the people in charge. Quinn C. Hoyer Kona, HI - --- MAP posted-by: