Pubdate: Tue, 15 Oct 2002
Source: San Jose Mercury News (CA)
Copyright: 2002 San Jose Mercury News
Contact:  http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/390
Author: Robert Kahn

THE REAL DRUG PROBLEM

DRUG Enforcement Administration director Asa Hutchinson (Opinion, Oct. 11) 
made a powerful point when he noted that, in the United States, there are 
16 million regular users of all illegal drugs, compared with 66 million 
tobacco users and 109 million alcohol users. These numbers put into 
excellent perspective the magnitude of the dual problems of tobacco and 
alcohol addiction in our society -- and the comparative insignificance of 
illegal drug use.

Perhaps the money spent funding the DEA would be better allocated to fund 
tobacco and alcohol addiction treatment programs. Hutchinson himself admits 
that these two substances represent the bulk of the drug "problem" in this 
country.

Robert Kahn

Saratoga
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