Pubdate: Thu, 24 Jan 2002 Source: Daily Independent, The (KY) Copyright: 2002 The Daily Independent, Inc. Contact: http://www.dailyindependent.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1573 Author: Stephen Heath Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n091/a09.html LAWS FILL PRISONS, DON'T HELP ADDICTS To the editor: Kentucky and other states can pass new criminal drug laws on a weekly, monthly or annual basis if so inclined. They can jail dozens, hundreds and thousands more citizens for violation of these same laws, and when all the smoke clears, we may have packed jails but not a single drug addict is any closer to true recovery. And now we see proposed legislation that ropes pharmacists into roles as surrogate police agents. Rep. Robin Webb made it clear where she intends to go with this and future proposals. "We're asking pharmacists to take a burden now, but this is just the first step," Webb said. Hardly. This is actually just another in a long line of steps that have been taken by lawmakers nationwide to persecute citizens who have addiction and abuse problems other than alcohol and tobacco. A true drug abuser does not need to receive a criminal record in order to receive appropriate and adequate assistance. It's time to just say no to proposals like Webb's and reconsider our many failed drug policies. Stephen Heath, Drug Policy Forum of Florida, Clearwater, Fla. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake