Pubdate: Mon, 05 Mar 2012
Source: El Paso Times (TX)
Copyright: 2012 Jerry Epstein
Contact: http://www.elpasotimes.com/townhall/ci_14227323
Website: http://www.elpasotimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/829
Author: Jerry Epstein

DRUG DEBATE

Beto O'Rourke wants open discussion to give us a better-informed 
public. Drug war defenders routinely oppose this.

In 1973, our only national commission on the drug war cited this as 
the single biggest source of drug-war failure, noting that "sound 
bites fit for media consumption" have filled the public mind with 
"incorrect assumptions."

Billions spent annually by the National Institutes of Health on drug 
abuse produces reams of data unknown to most because many politicians 
regularly hide or distort the findings.

Tiny example: 37 million tried cocaine and produced 1 million current 
problem users, less than half the rate for alcohol with its 18 
million problem users.

About 90 percent of cocaine addicts also suffer from alcohol abuse or 
addiction. Try crack and 75 percent give it up within one year.

Colleague William Martin, (Senior Fellow for Religion and Public 
Policy at Baker Institute and for Public Policy at Rice Institute) 
and I note that we can have drugs with drug cartels or without them.

A properly regulated supply by doctors will mean more success against 
addiction than leaving control in the hands of drug dealers.

Discuss the conclusions, but let's share the same facts.

Jerry Epstein

Houston
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom