Source: Houston Chronicle (TX) Contact: http://www.chron.com/ Pubdate: 7 Sep. 1998 Author: Mark Trentalange, MD DARE TO RETHINK DRUG WAR Julie Mason's Aug 27 Page One article, "Study questions DARE program," highlighted exactly what is wrong with our current approach to the drug problem. While it is patently obvious that the war on drugs is a complete and expensive failure, our elected officials continue to promote empty but "politically safe" programs over more effective strategies. The truth is that DARE (while popular with politicians, police and some parents) fails to produce results. Studies of other cities have shown this; we now have proof that this is true even in our town. We have had 30 years of law enforcement, advertising, and interdiction with absolutely no effect on drug use. We currently spend $17 billion for the war on drugs alone. What we are getting are glamorous advertising campaigns, insane efforts here and abroad to defoliate farmland and forest, naive hopes that the Taliban will cooperate with us and harebrained proposals to put our nation's borders under the control of yet another layer of bureaucracy. We see "exceptions" to our constitutional rights with forfeiture of property without a trial and armed home invasions by the police, such as the recent one here in Houston. Our antidrug hysteria has created a problem much worse than the original and contributed to the erosion of respect for law enforcement. Yet self-supporting or less costly programs such as needle exchange or the decriminalization of marijuana -- advocated by every federal and impartial investigation -- are overridden for the sake of appearances. Since these programs don't promise an elusive zero tolerance, the work of serious investigations is set aside for the opinions of politicians. We rely, instead, on propaganda programs of half-truths, when what we need is a complete rethinking of tactics. Our own mayor, Lee Brown, as a former drug czar, should know the war on drugs is a waste of money, yet he clings to these bankrupt ideas. We need to courageously face these problems directly, instead of worrying about some implied message being sent. The "message" we are sending now is totally insane. I applaud the Houston City councilmen Ray Driscoll and Carroll Robinson for their reasoned attempts to use our tax dollars more wisely. Let's dare to investigate to the unthinkable. Mark Trentalange, Houston. Ashley H Clements 1416 Brookvalley lane Atlanta, GA (404) 636-6426 www.november.org www.mapinc.org - --- Checked-by: Rich O'Grady