Pubdate: Fri, 07 Dec 2001 Source: Salt Lake Tribune (UT) Copyright: 2001 The Salt Lake Tribune Contact: http://www.sltrib.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/383 Author: Robert Sharpe DRUG HYPOCRISY Thank you for raising awareness of Ritalin abuse (Tribune, Nov. 19). While America continues to wage its $50 billion war on consensual vices, our children are routinely prescribed legal drugs with effects similar to cocaine and methamphetamine. The goal of a "drug-free" America that so many politicians claim to be working toward applies only to certain drugs. Specifically, natural drugs that cannot be patented by the pharmaceutical industry, one of Washington's most powerful lobbies. New lifestyle drugs are granted fast-track government approval by the Food and Drug Administration, while marijuana, which has been used medicinally for thousands of years, allegedly requires further research. Despite a relatively brief period on the market, the blatantly recreational drug Viagra has already killed more people than marijuana, a relatively benign plant which has never been shown to cause an overdose death. Nationwide, cancer and AIDS patients are being locked up at taxpayers' expense for using medical marijuana, while 2-year-olds are prescribed Ritalin. So much for protecting the children from drugs. One need only follow the money trail to find out why a given policy exists. ROBERT SHARPE The Lindesmith Center Drug Policy Foundation Washington, D.C. - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart