Pubdate: Thu, 16 Jan 2003
Source: Greenville News (SC)
Copyright: 2003 The Greenville News
Contact:  http://greenvillenews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/877
Author: E. Richard Walton

WAR ON DRUGS CHALLENGED AT FURMAN FORUM

The professionals argued at a lively Furman University forum Wednesday 
night that one way to win the nation's losing war on illegal drugs is to 
decriminalize the substances and declare victory.

But panelist Kathleen Rice, executive director of the Greenville County 
Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, said she opposed decriminalization 
unless the money from the war till went into treatment and education. She 
also said it could make the problem worse, particularly for young people.

And some of about 325 students who attended a panel discussion said they 
opposed decriminalization.

Graham Boyd, an American Civil Liberties Union lawyer, estimated 115,000 
people are jailed on drug charges yearly. He said the nation's increasingly 
costly prison population has quadrupled since the 1980s.

He said the federal government has spent an estimated $200 billion in 
attempt to eradicate drugs since the mid-1980s.

"Are we winning the war on drugs?" he said during a 40-minute talk, which 
also covered alcohol prohibition in 1919. "I can't say in any way we are."

Boyd said government's battle against drugs has included building 400 
prisons since 1990.

"It seems to me it's time to do something different," he said. "People 
should not be locked up for using drugs."

Earl Burnett, who retired after working 21 years in the Greenville County 
Sheriff's Office, said he has concluded an alternative to jailing drug 
users must be found.

"Strict criminal enforcement is a failure," said Burnett, one of five 
panelists. "Drugs is a consensual crime and hard to detect."

"We're locking up more people," he said, but that has "failed to reduce 
drug use." "My feelings overall is drug prohibition should be ended."

Marty Wicks, 20, a junior, said the comments of the speakers made sense but 
she said she worries about a slippery slope of decriminalizing drugs.

"I don't agree with it," Wicks said. "If it's the decriminalization of 
marijuana, what happens with the other (harder) drugs."

She said she worries about people who begin using drugs such as pot and 
eventually move to more serious drugs and will crave a bigger thrill. "I 
worry about who they will hurt," she said.

Justin Fincham, 21, a senior, said he had strong feelings about the issue.

"I don't think it should be decriminalized," Finchman said.
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