Pubdate: [Fri, 01 Mar 1996]
Source: San Francisco Chronicle (CA)
Author: Joseph M. Gabriel

The new US "Drug Czar" Gen. Barry McCaffrey may be a fine individual and
dedicated public servant, but he will be no more succesful at his new job
than his predecessors were. Prohibition has never worked in the past and
there is no reason to believe it will work in the future. His appointment
sends a false message to the American people that the "War on Drugs" can be
won by the use of military force. The evidence overwhelmingly demonstrates
that this is not the case.

It is time for our leaders to stop misleading the public into believing
that military and law enforcement efforts are an effective or approprate
response to drug abuse. Guns and prisons are not the answer to the medical
and social issues presented by drugs. If the President and Congress were
really interested in reducing the amount of drug abuse in this country,
they would work together to appoint and fund the Commission on Crime
Control and Prevention called for in the 1994 Crime Bill.

Sincerely,
Joseph M. Gabriel,
Media Awareness Project