Pubdate: Fri, 22 Aug 2003
Source: City Paper, The (TN)
Copyright: 2003, The City Paper,LLC
Contact:  http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3080
Author:  Tom Phillips
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n1255/a11.html?1629

DOBBS' DRUG WAR IS A BIT OUTDATED

TO THE EDITOR:

Thanks for your alternative news source. In response to the commentary by 
Lou Dobbs (Aug. 19, "The war on drugs is still a war well worth fighting," 
p. 2), I want to point out the following: Dobbs' arguments are based on 
tired, specious reasoning that is decades out of date. Teen-agers may be 
ignorant and uneducated, but they aren't stupid. They do not for one minute 
believe that the answers they give to a supposedly anonymous questionnaire 
will not be reviewed by drug police looking to bust somebody.

Whether that's actually true or not, their answers will be more reflective 
of what they think they are supposed to do and think, rather than what they 
actually think or do. The numbers will change as the current mores of the 
society shift back and forth.

Conclusions as to actual drug use cannot be correctly drawn from having 
school administrators ask teen-agers whether they smoke pot. If the number 
of deaths - 20,000, quoted by Dobbs - has any credence at all, he should 
quote his source. But even giving him that number, the total number of 
alcohol-related traffic deaths in this country approaches 30,000 per year 
(National Highway Safety Council), and the deaths directly related to 
tobacco smoking tops 500,000 (American Cancer Society).

Alcohol kills half as many people each year as all illegal drug use 
combined. Tobacco, 25 times as many - numbers that leave his basis for 
illegalization in the distance. So, correct me if I'm wrong, but according 
to Dobbs' reasoning that things should "become illegal because they are 
clearly wrong," why is it that alcohol and tobacco are legal, and smoking 
pot can get you a jail sentence and ruin your life?

The real message that Dobbs gives us is that what we are doing doesn't 
work, so we need to spend a whole lot more money doing a whole lot more of 
the same thing. Well, thanks but no thanks, Dobbs. It's a new century, and 
we need a new perspective.

TOM PHILLIPS 37206
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