Pubdate: Sat, 18 May 2002
Source: Dallas Morning News (TX)
Copyright: 2002 The Dallas Morning News
Contact:  http://www.dallasnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/117
Author: Suzanne Wills

2 CLASSES OF DRUGS

One of the many problems with having two classes of nonmedical drugs, one 
legal and one illegal, is that people tend to think the legal drugs are 
benign. James Ragland describes the horrible consequences of this attitude 
with respect to alcohol and driving ("This road leads only to tragedy," 
April 26). A much better system of regulating nonmedical drugs would be to 
sell them all, including alcohol and tobacco, only to people who have 
applied for and obtained a permit to buy them. Advertising for nonmedical 
drugs should be limited to in-store advertising and direct mail to permit 
holders. Permits should be suspended or revoked if a person committed a 
crime related to the drug, such as driving while intoxicated. Under this 
system, people who are irresponsible enough to drive while intoxicated 
could not legally buy alcohol, and few have friends who would risk 
furnishing it to them.

Suzanne Wills, Drug Policy Forum of Texas, Dallas
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