Pubdate: Fri, 16 Dec 2005
Source: Pilot, The (NC)
Copyright: 2005 The Pilot LLC
Contact:  http://www.thepilot.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1701
Author: Maryann McCormick
Note: Maryann McCormick is executive director of Drug Free Moore County

LEGALIZING DRUGS IS A REALLY TERRIBLE IDEA

On Dec. 2, I opened my Pilot to the opinion page and read the editorial
regarding "Burley Mitchell's Surprising Question." I read it the second time
and knew that I had to respond.

The very idea of the decriminalization of drugs sends great shudders
through me. I think first of the scenes I saw in the detoxification
units of the hospitals in which I once worked. I think of the haunted
look in the eyes of those who thought they had kicked their habit only
to find that the habit was stronger then they were.

I think of the small children in the juvenile psychiatric units who
were unable to feel emotions - no joy, no sorrow - only a flat affect
that would not change. These children, born of crack mothers, never
had a choice as to the use of these substances.

I think also of a visit to Amsterdam and the young people I saw living
on the streets and in the parks. Decriminalization would not make any
of these horrors go away, only make them easier and more common. The
idea that we could save money by reducing the amount of tax funds
spent on police and courts and spare our county the huge expense of
building ever-bigger jails to house those who commit essentially
victimless crimes is, I believe, less than accurate.

Many of the drug-related crimes are armed robberies, home break-ins
and vehicle thefts that, last I noticed, all had victims. Sheriff Lane
Carter has said that 76 percent of the crime in our county can be
traced to drugs. Perhaps what is really needed is mandated, in-house
treatment for those who are apprehended for drug use. There is no
treatment in the jails of our county, only a broad education from the
more experienced offenders who are happy to share with them new ways
to get their drugs and additional ways to break the laws of the
county. Parents of juveniles apprehended should be required to take
classes on how to cope with this strange world into which their
children has ventured.

I believe that drug use and addiction would soar with legalization and
that the cost of treatment and social welfare would also rise. Both
short- and long-term health effects of drug use must also be
considered. Marijuana, often seen as an entry-level drug and the drug
most often mentioned in the case for drug legalization, has long-term
effects that include respiratory damage and impaired short-term memory
loss.

Long-term effects of other drugs include stroke, heart attack and
liver damage. Just look at cocaine. In some people, a single dose of
cocaine can produce seizures or heart and respiratory failure and on
occasion even death. Although users with underlying heart problems or
blood vessel disease may be most likely to suffer heart attacks or
heart failure from cocaine, evidence suggests the drug can affect
young people with apparently healthy hearts. The risk of such
complications becomes greater for all users as the amount and
frequency of drug use increases.

Users who share needles or other paraphernalia to inject their cocaine
face other potentially life-threatening risks. Hepatitis or AIDS are
just a few of the organisms that can be passed on.

I understand that The Pilot and the former chief justice of the N.C.
Supreme Court have not come out in favor of this controversial issue.
However, once I stopped shuddering, I felt compelled to share my
feelings and the stand of Drug Free Moore County.

Drug Free Moore County is a not-for-profit organization that was
founded in 1989 when a group of concerned citizens approached the
Moore County Board of Commissioners about the drug problem in Moore
County. It receives its funding through the Sandhills Center and Moore
County. Additional funding comes from donations from civic groups,
churches and businesses. The mission of Drug Free Moore County is to
increase awareness, disseminate information, and garner support in
order to facilitate the prevention, intervention and treatment of
substance abuse in Moore County. Its Board of Directors represents law
enforcement, schools, health agencies and caring citizens each of
whom, I am sure, would vote against the legalization of drugs in our
society.
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