Pubdate: Thu, 17 Nov 2005
Source: Herald, The (UK)
Copyright: 2005 The Herald
Contact:  http://www.theherald.co.uk/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/189
Author: Redford Givens
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05.n1799.a03.html

THE BENEFITS OF MAKING DRUGS LEGAL

Despite Annabel Goldie's mistaken belief that there is a cure for
opiate addiction (How we can win this war on drugs, November 14),
there is no treatment that cures addiction. Subjecting drug users to
harsher penalties and stricter treatment has failed again and again.
These failures are blamed on the addicts.

Goldie's assertion that "drug abuse threatens the very fabric of our
society" is propaganda of the worst kind because drug-users become
addicts at about the same rate that drinkers become alcoholics. If
this minority could cause the destruction of civilisation, the world
would have gone back into the Dark Ages long ago.

A more dangerous threat to society is fanatic drug crusaders who see
"abstinence" as a holy grail even though history shows that addicts
were productive citizens before Goldie's war on drugs began. In her
effort to promote a drug war, Goldie ignores the fact that no-one was
robbing, whoring and murdering over drugs when addicts could buy all
of the heroin, cocaine, morphine, opium and anything else they wanted
cheaply and legally at the pharmacy.

When drugs were legal addicts held regular employment, raised decent
families and were indistinguishable from their teetotalling
neighbours. Overdoses were virtually unheard of when addicts used
cheap, pure Bayer Heroin instead of the expensive toxic potions
prohibition puts on the streets. Where drug crime was unheard-of,
there are prisons overflowing with drug users. Where addicts lived
normal lives, there are thousands of shattered families. Where
overdoses were extremely rare, there are thousands of drug deaths every
year.

Annabel Goldie is peddling a lethal drug policy because illegal drugs
are sold in a criminal market where purity and dosage are unknown.
Making drugs legal and regulating them would end the "drug deaths" and
crime associated with drug prohibition.

Redford Givens, webmaster

Schaffer Library of Drug Policy

San Francisco, USA.

www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/
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