Pubdate: Tues, 31 Aug 1999 Source: Oregonian, The (OR) Copyright: 1999 The Oregonian Contact: 1320 SW Broadway, Portland, OR 97201 Fax: 503-294-4193 Website: http://www.oregonlive.com/ Forum: http://forums.oregonlive.com/ Author: Ancil Nance, Terry and Dick Daley EXAMINE DRUG SENTENCING If it is true that the Amerian public is no longer concerned that politicians experimented with illegal drugs, as is suggested by our ho-hum acceptance of Gov. George W. Bush's possibly having used cocaine in his younger days, perhaps he and others should look again at the crimes of poor young citizens who are behind bars for their youthful drug use. It is surely a hard road to success for a person who has served prison time. Terry and Dick Daley Northeast Portland ~~~~~ ADDRESS REASONS PEOPLE USE DRUGS The Oregonian, along with many others in the anti-drug crusade, has for years promulgated the line that drugs are addictive, especially "gateway drugs" such as marijuana. On Aug. 21, you quoted White House drug czar Barry McCaffey, who says, "probably 70 million Americans have used an illegal drug---one third of all Americans aged 12 and older." Yet those who have tried "overwhelmingly have walked away from drug abuse." It is about time the anti-drug folks wake up to the real problem. It is not drug use, but drug abuse. If we concentratrated on why people abuse any of the drugs, why their lives are so bad that getting high or drunk is a better alternative, we would be on the right track. Find out why most people don't abuse, don't get "hooked" and then use that information to help those who do. The billions spent on drugs, in consumption and prevention, could better be spent early in the stages of child development. As boring as some classrooms are, as deadening as some jobs are, as hopeless as some lives are, it is no wonder kids turn to drugs. Solve those kinds of problems and you wont have a drug problem to kick around anymore. Part of the problem would be to get the anti-drug forces off the drug welfare dole that has been their living for the last 20 years. Ancil Nance Southwest Portland - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake