Pubdate: Thu, 28 Dec 2006 Source: Washington Times (DC) Copyright: 2006 News World Communications, Inc. Contact: http://www.washingtontimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/492 Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v06/n1733/a06.html Author: John Chase TEENS AND DRUGS The claimed 23 percent reduction of teen drug use from 2001 to 2006 is technically true but is still very small ("Teens' use of illegal drugs drops," Page 1, Friday). For example, high-school problem smokers (those who smoke every day) fell to 4 percent from 5 percent. That's 25 percent, according to data from monitoringthefuture.org. Because the drug war gets the credit, let's look at the other side of the ledger. First, the annual $10 billion spent to house half a million drug prisoners and $20 billion spent by the federal government on the drug war. Also, the unintended consequences: Perjured testimony by government witnesses; women and low-level dealers imprisoned because they have no information to offer prosecutors. Consider how the exorbitant profit of the illegal market attracts unskilled men to run "meth labs" and sell drugs on the street. Finally, those suffering from illnesses who use narcotics to relieve pain are sent to prison because they cut corners to get the relief denied them by the Drug Enforcement Administration. That 23 percent reduction is really a 1 percent decline in problem smokers. Even if the drug war gets all the credit, it is a bad deal for Americans. JOHN CHASE, Palm Harbor, Fla. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake