Pubdate: Sun, 20 Jul 2003
Source: Midland Reporter-Telegram (TX)
Copyright: 2003 The Midland Reporter-Telegram
Contact:  http://www.mywesttexas.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/264
Author: Kirk Muse
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n1014/a01.html

IT'S TIME TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT WITH DRUGS

I'm writing about your thoughtful editorial: "Canada's Latest Approach To
Drugs Must Be Avoided" (7-06-03). I noted with special interest a quote from
White House Drug Czar John Walters: "Drug abuse is a deadly disease..."

Heart and cancer disease is a deadly disease. But we don't arrest and jail
victims of heart disease. So why do we arrest and jail drug addicts.

Almost all the "harms" of drug abuse are caused because drugs are
criminalized. When all types of recreational drugs were legally available in
local pharmacies for pennies per dose, the term "drug-related crime" didn't
exist. Neither did drug lords or drug cartels. 
These were all created by our drug prohibition policies -- not drugs.

When all types of recreational drugs were legally available in local
pharmacies for pennies per dose, deaths from recreational drugs were very
rare. That's because the drugs were of known quality, known potency and
known purity. Just the opposite of what they are today.

Today, recreational drugs are untaxed, unregulated and controlled by
criminal gangs.

It's time to do something different -- substantially different.

Kirk Muse

Mesa, AZ
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