It is Biblically correct to not just legalize cannabis, but re-legalize it ("Legalize It," by Benjamin Schlau, City Beat, April 6). It's no accident the Bible indicates God created all the seed-bearing plants and said they were all good, on literally the very first page in Genesis 1:11-12 and 29-30. The only Biblical restriction placed on cannabis (kaneh bosm, before the King James Version) is that we use it with thanksgiving - see 1 Timothy 4:1-5, where it also describes who will promote its prohibition as those who have fallen away from the faith. Government would like citizens to think cannabis is a chemical weapon of mass destruction; in reality, the table of the Lord is not defiled - see Malachi 1:6-14, subtitled "Sin of the Priests" (New American Standard Bible). Biblically it is time to stop caging humans for using what is good. Stan White Dillon, Colo. [end]
COLUMBIA (AP) - People convicted of possession or distribution of powder and crack cocaine would draw the same penalties under a bill that cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. The legislation ends years of stiffer penalties for the potent but less expensive rock form of cocaine. People arrested on cocaine charges, however, would face more prison time. A handful of legislators for years have said it makes little sense for one form of an addictive drug to have less harsh penalties to than the other. [continues 194 words]
Here's a novel way to fix Social Security: legalize marijuana and tax the hell out of it to refill the federal coffers. Just such a solution was suggested by a silver-haired woman in the audience at the panel discussion on drug law reform at the College of Charleston campus last week. Her plan was met with much applause by the 80 predominantly younger people in the crowd. The Wednesday night debate was hosted by the Charleston chapter of NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, and was designed to look at several different sides of the issue. [continues 762 words]
FLORENCE - A longtime Florence police officer was dismissed from her post and jailed by State Law Enforcement Division agents Friday morning amid allegations of illegal drug activity. Debravka "Debbie" Perry, 37, of 805-H Parker Drive, Florence, was arrested about 11 a.m. and later booked at the Florence County Detention on charges of distribution of crack cocaine and misconduct in office. The SLED investigation was conducted at the request of the Florence Police Department, Chief Anson Shells said. "When the allegations against Ms. Perry were brought to my attention, I immediately contacted (SLED) for their assistance," he said. "Subsequent to the outcome of that investigation, she is no longer an employee of the Florence Police Department." [continues 224 words]
Behind the razor-wire fence and inside a small room at the Turbeville Correctional Institution, about 25 inmates sit in a circle and jot down notes about self-discovery in an alcohol and drug abuse class. The program is one of several in the Corrections Department that would end if the Senate doesn't restore funding cuts made in the House version of the state budget, agency director Jon Ozmint said Monday. "We just have grave concerns about the funding," Ozmint said on a tour of the treatment program at the medium security prison in Turbeville, which is about 15 miles east of Sumter. "We can't safely cut anymore." [continues 522 words]
BEAUFORT -- The Beaufort County Solicitor's Office finished up its first court term dedicated to drug cases Friday and geared up for one of its next battles -- securing county funds to hire more attorneys. During the two-week term and roster meetings that preceded it, 68 defendants were sentenced for 111 offenses, deputy solicitor Duffie Stone said. "I think it's unusual to move that many cases," Stone said. "We had one trial in two weeks. Everybody else ended up pleading guilty." [continues 311 words]
This week's news that inhalant use among 12- to 17-year-olds is up is a disturbing anomaly in an overall downward trend in national drug-use statistics. While government programs to dissuade young Americans from trying illegal drugs have had mixed results, they have at least done a good job of educating potential drug users about the dangers of such activities. But while the work of the Office for National Drug Control Policy has centered on gateway drugs such as marijuana, they believe lead to the use of other substances, it appears they have neglected to inform teens and pre-teens about the risks of inhalants. [continues 207 words]
Priority Set On Closing Cases, Repeat Offenders Beaufort County citizens won in the court of common sense last week, thanks to innovative work by the solicitor's office. Beaufort County General Sessions Court dedicated a full court term to drug cases -- a first for the court. And the solicitor's office set a priority of dealing with career criminals first. That results in a more realistic chance for defendants to get the swift and fair justice Americans expect. And it ultimately could result in safer streets and neighborhoods. [continues 352 words]
Bluffton: First Of Two Drug Awareness Seminars Held At Bluffton High. The dope was dealt about drugs and alcohol Tuesday night at Bluffton High School during the first of two drug awareness seminars geared for parents. The rainy weather may have dampened the turnout for the two-hour meeting, but those who attended got an earful about the dangers of legal and illegal substances their children may be encountering daily. Pam and Bill Glover, whose son is a junior at the high school, were among about 15 parents braving the rain to come to the seminar. [continues 482 words]
Attorney General Henry McMaster is enlisting retail stores in the war on methamphetamine, asking them to report any large purchases of the over-the-counter ingredients needed to make the illegal street drug. Operation "Meth Watch" encourages retailers to monitor instances of someone buying large quantities of legal items that, when combined, can help make "meth," a dangerous and highly addictive stimulant. Drain cleaner, rock salt, lithium batteries, brake fluid, iodine and sinus medication are just some of the ingredients that go into the brew. For about $75, nearly an entire meth lab can be put together from a single visit to a discount store, police say. [continues 214 words]
Mexico is a major source of heroin for the U.S. market, as well as the principal hub for cocaine coming in from South America. For years, many people both inside and outside Mexico have worried that the country might descend into the maelstrom of corruption and violence that has long plagued the chief drug-source country in the Western Hemisphere: Colombia. There are growing signs that the "Colombianization" of Mexico is now becoming a reality. [continues 519 words]
BLUFFTON -- An unannounced search Friday didn't uncover any drugs inside Bluffton High School, but police dogs detected remnants of marijuana in a student's car in the parking lot, Principal Aretha Rhone-Bush said. The drug search was conducted by the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office's K-9 Unit and the Bluffton Police Department, and it was the first in what Rhone-Bush said will be ongoing random inspections at the school. The searches are part of the principal's overall plan to eliminate illegal activity from the school and increase security measures. [continues 333 words]
BLUFFTON -- Part of Lt. Thomas Loving's job as the Bluffton High School resource officer is to find ways to get a thousand different teens to be straight with him about drugs, alcohol, gangs and violence in the school. "In my job, you have to find what makes a kid click," said Loving, a Bluffton police officer who has been the 1,084-student school's resource officer since it opened in August. Loving knows his job would be easier if each student's parent was trying just as hard to do the same thing. So he has helped organize a two-part drug awareness seminar for parents, guardians and other community members on Tuesday and April 7 at the school. [continues 355 words]
Random Inspection Reveals Remnants Of Marijuana An unannounced search Friday didn't uncover any drugs inside Bluffton High School, but police dogs detected remnants of marijuana in a student's car in the parking lot, Principal Aretha Rhone-Bush said. The drug search was conducted by the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office's K-9 Unit and the Bluffton Police Department, and it was the first in what Rhone-Bush said will be ongoing random inspections at the school. The searches are part of the principal's overall plan to eliminate illegal activity from the school and increase security measures. [continues 331 words]
Collectors, Not Dealers, Buying Marijuana Stamps Used To Pay Vice Tax CHARLESTON -- Ten years after it was created, a little-known law requiring marijuana dealers to pay taxes on pot sales has had little impact, officials say. State officials say it appears not a single dealer has purchased the required stamps. Instead, the stamps have created a market and a demand among collectors. Of the 433 pot stamps sold by the state since 1994, the overwhelming majority were bought as novelties, according to the S.C. Department of Revenue. [continues 497 words]
Six years ago, South Carolina's Kenneth Curtis made headlines by selling his urine over the Internet to customers intent on flouting company drug tests. After state legislators crafted a law banning such sales, Curtis was arrested and sentenced to six months in jail, a term he completed last April. Curtis, 47, recently spoke with staff writer Jennifer Rothacker. Q. Is your urine-selling Privacy Protection Services Inc. still in business? I still own Privacy Protection Services, but I had to sell my interest in the urine-selling business in order to appease the judge. I'm the only one in the world prohibited from selling urine anywhere in the world by a circuit judge. [continues 341 words]
CHARLESTON -- Ten years after it was created, a little-known law requiring marijuana dealers to pay taxes on pot sales has had little impact, officials say. State officials say it appears not a single dealer has purchased the required stamps. Instead, the stamps have created a market and a demand among collectors. Of the 433 pot stamps sold by the state since 1994, the overwhelming majority were bought as novelties, according to the South Carolina Department of Revenue. The stamps are required for every gram of illegal drugs sold by a dealer in the state. They are similar to the stamps affixed to other vices taxed by the state, such as liquor and cigarettes. [continues 101 words]
Officials Say Collectors, Not Sellers, Are Only Ones Buying Pot Stamps As the leader of Charleston's pro-marijuana lobby, Berkeley County resident Roman Prince calls the state law requiring pot dealers to buy tax stamps "a sucker's bet." "More people are going to get busted" if they stand in line to identify themselves as sellers, he said. How wrong Prince is. Ten years after it went on the books, a little-known law requiring marijuana dealers to pay taxes up front on pot sales has had an impact as fleeting as, well, a puff of smoke. [continues 909 words]
Officials Say They Should Be Held To Same Standard As City Employees Charleston City Councilman Kwadjo Campbell arrived at the first City Council meeting since being charged with marijuana possession just as Councilman Paul Tinkler proposed that council members be subjected to drug testing. Tinkler said members of City Council should be held to the same standard as city employees, who can be tested for drugs upon reasonable suspicion of illegal drug use. "If you play for the South Carolina Gamecocks and you test positive for marijuana, you can be kicked off the team," he said, drawing another contrast with City Council rules. [continues 551 words]
CHARLESTON - Charleston City Council is considering the idea of requiring drug tests for its members after Councilman Kwadjo Campbell was charged with marijuana possession. On Tuesday, the council asked the city staff to review whether the same drug-testing rules that apply to city workers may legally be applied to members of the council. The staff also was asked to see whether testing is required for members of other elected bodies in the state. Councilman Paul Tinkler proposed the idea. He said council members should be held to the same standard as city workers, who can be tested upon suspicion of illegal drug use. [continues 108 words]
Community Must Be Educated To Dangers Some 200 Anderson County residents gathered at the Civic Center one day last week to learn about a dangerous street drug that is causing havoc all over the country. Methamphetamine can be manufactured just about anywhere, using common chemicals and products such as matches, batteries, drain cleaner and sinus medication. It can be smoked, snorted or shot up. A report in the Feb. 28 edition of Newsweek describes it as a "powerful stimulant that leaves many users feeling euphoric and hypersexual." Newsweek says meth has become popular among some urban gay men, who may be recharging the AIDS epidemic by having unprotected sex with multiple partners while high. [continues 280 words]
Seven UPS workers, including two men accused of selling prescription narcotics that were being shipped to a Spartanburg wholesaler, have been fired. Dan McMackin, UPS spokesman in Atlanta, said Monday an investigation was continuing but would not say whether additional arrests or firings were expected. "So far, it's been shipments of only Lortabs that have been affected," he said. "And that's all of the firings as of today." McMackin would not give details of the other five employees' involvement or the arrest last week of James Kendrick Blackwood, 26, and Jonathan Tyler Kirby, 27. [continues 373 words]
Solicitor Trey Gowdy Wants Drug-Dependent Women To Have Easier Access To Birth Control Methods. Gowdy formed a committee of medical professionals, attorneys, Department of Social Service case workers, ministers, and alcohol and drug abuse experts to develop guidelines for hospitals and law enforcement officers to follow after a woman tests positive for drugs. The committee has considered pre- and post-birth procedures for pregnant women who test positive for drugs. During their meetings, the solicitor suggested that state agencies streamline the process for a drug-dependent woman to get birth control. [continues 488 words]
GAFFNEY -- Circuit Court Judge Mark Hayes has refused to reduce a prison sentence for a woman whose newborn tested positive for drugs. Public Defender Don Thompson asked Hayes earlier this month to reduce the four-year prison sentence he ordered for Pamela Cruz-Reyes in December. Cruz-Reyes, 22, pleaded guilty to unlawful child neglect after her she tested positive for cocaine and marijuana and her newborn tested positive for cocaine. When she was arrested, her newborn was placed in the care of the Department of Social Services. Cruz-Reyes has two other children, ages 2 and 6, who are in the care of relatives. [continues 208 words]
After almost two weeks of speculation, the Spartanburg County Coroner's Office released an autopsy report Wednesday for a man killed by undercover sheriff's officers. Spartanburg County Coroner Jim Burnett said Aaron Clark Gray, 24, was wounded five times from three gunshots from officers following a drug buy two weeks ago. Burnett said the Coroner's Office couldn't determine the total number of shots fired, but only the number of times they believe Gray was hit. Burnett said Gray's death is being ruled a homicide and the fatal shot was to the forehead. Gray also suffered a grazing wound to the chin, in and out wounds to the upper chest and a wound to the cheek possibly from a bullet splitting, Burnett said. [continues 409 words]
Kudos to Chris Mcelveen for exposing the racist roots of marijuana prohibition in his Feb. 11th column. If health outcomes determined drug laws instead of cultural norms marijuana would be legal. Unlike alcohol, marijuana has never been shown to cause an overdose death, nor does it share the addictive properties of tobacco. Marijuana can be harmful if abused, but jail cells are inappropriate as health interventions and ineffective as deterrents. The first marijuana laws were enacted in response to Mexican migration during the early 1900s, despite opposition from the American Medical Association. Dire warnings that marijuana inspires homicidal rages have been counterproductive at best. White Americans did not even begin to smoke pot until a soon-to-be entrenched government bureaucracy began funding reefer madness propaganda. [continues 61 words]
FLORENCE--A former Lowcountry prosecutor and two lawyers who faced prison time for their roles in a Charleston County drug ring were instead placed on probation Friday. The trio pleaded guilty in a Florence County courtroom to conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Circuit Judge James E. Brogdon Jr. sentenced former 9th Circuit assistant solicitor Damon Cook of Mount Pleasant to five years in prison and a $12,500 fine. Brogdon then suspended the sentence to three years of probation and a $2,000 fine, along with 120 days of intense supervision. [continues 544 words]
A Friday autopsy showed a 24-year-old man died by a gunshot wound to the head when two undercover sheriff's deputies opened fire on him. Limited information was released in the Thursday night death of Aaron Clark Gray of 145 Raintree Drive as the investigation continued, said Chief Investigator Brad Wall with the Spartanburg County Coroner's Office. Gray died in Spartanburg Regional Medical Center at 9:18 p.m. Thursday. Maj. Dan Johnson with the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office said the deputies reported Gray tried to run over them with the car he drove after a drug buy was completed and they attempted to arrest him. [continues 397 words]
Hopefully you already know the subject of this article; the title should have given it away. By the way, I came up with that title and I like to think it has a nice ring. If you haven't figured it out yet, the subject is the legalization of marijuana. Not some indecipherable, ridiculous rambling by a "pothead." No, this is different. This, my friends, is a well-researched piece filled with the facts that helped me form my opinion. So what is my opinion? Anyone who knows me can tell you the answer to that one; I'm all for the legalization of marijuana, at least decriminalization. That is not to say I advocate the excessive use of drugs, but to each his own. I also do not think that marijuana, as with alcohol, usage is safe or wise in a variety of situations. [continues 689 words]
GAFFNEY - A circuit judge is considering a defense attorney's motion to reduce the prison sentence for a woman whose newborn tested positive for cocaine. Defense attorney Don Thompson said his client, 22-year-old Pamela Cruz-Reyes, should have the opportunity to reconcile with her child, who was born in November and tested positive for cocaine. Judge Mark Hayes sentenced Cruz-Reyes in December to four years in prison followed by five years probation. She would be eligible for parole in April 2007. [continues 396 words]
Woman's Home Was Subject of Probe During Investigation, Arrest Of Brother A day after federal and local agents entered a North Charleston home searching for a suspect wanted in a federal drug investigation, relatives are questioning police tactics. On Saturday, family members identified the man taken into police custody Friday as Eduardo Bowman, who was found hiding in the Murray Hill neighborhood after agents surrounded his mother's home. He was arrested by police after they heard a noise from a nearby abandoned house. [continues 486 words]
Undercover officers shot to death a young man who tried to run them over after a staged drug deal, the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office said late Thursday. The State Law Enforcement Division was called to investigate shortly after the 7 p.m. shooting, said Maj. Dan Johnson with the Sheriff's Office. Investigator Wendy Alley with the Coroner's Office identified the deceased as Aaron Clark Gray, 24, of 145 Raintree Drive in Spartanburg. Johnson would not release the names of the two officers involved. [continues 98 words]
A Union police officer faces charges of swapping crack for sex and other illegal conduct over the past seven years following a State Law Enforcement Division investigation. SLED agents arrested 35-year-old Rodney Curt Johnson Thursday morning. "A lot of the people were shocked that this happened -- disbelief," said Union Public Safety Chief Sam White. "We talked about it, everybody that was working today." Johnson, a full-time officer since 2000, was released from Union County Jail Thursday night on a $20,000 bond. [continues 278 words]
A small team of Clemson University researchers is in the process of patenting several chemical compounds derived from THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. Drugs from these compounds could potentially be a huge breakthrough in the world of medicine that is a far cry from smoking dope to treat back pain or cataracts. When tested on animals, the drugs were also effective at fighting what is currently an untreatable cancer called Glioma. Unfortunately, the best of these cancer-fighting compounds cannot be patented and developed by a pharmaceutical company, because it was published before the discovery of its incredible potential. [continues 646 words]
Riley Says Local Officers Stopping Drugs Charleston's practice of sending city police officers to patrol Interstate 95 survived a City Council vote Tuesday, but the patrols could get closer scrutiny in coming months. The fact that the vote took place marked a reversal from Mayor Joe Riley's previous position, which was that Police Chief Reuben Greenberg had the ultimate say on the far-flung patrols. Riley said an opinion from the state Attorney General's office led to the decision to seek ratification from City Council of existing mutual aid agreements. Future agreements also will come before council, he said. [continues 412 words]
CHARLESTON (AP) -- Charleston police cruisers can sometimes be seen patrolling Interstate 95 in Santee, more than an hour away from Charleston. "I-95 is a pipeline" for drugs that can come to the city, Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. told Charleston City Council on Tuesday. "We're patrolling our borders." The council endorsed an existing mutual aid agreement between the city and Santee on I-95. But some council members said future agreements will be looked at more closely. Riley said an opinion from the state attorney general's office resulted in the decision to seek council ratification. [continues 154 words]
It seems that many of the counties in South Carolina and the United States are finding their confinement facilities over-crowded and in desperate need of additional facilities. These cost a great deal. Estimates from $60,000 to $120,000 per bed are in the ballpark. And naturally some of the taxpayers are less than happy that we are spending such vast amounts of resources on those who continue to break our laws. But let us look at the cost if we fail to keep most of these persons incarcerated. [continues 318 words]
Council Checks On Police Agreements CHARLESTON (AP) -- Charleston police cruisers can sometimes be seen patrolling Interstate 95 in Santee, more than an hour away from Charleston. "I-95 is a pipeline" for drugs that can come to the city, Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. told Charleston City Council on Tuesday. "We're patrolling our borders." The council endorsed an existing mutual-aid agreement between the city and Santee on I-95. But some council members said future agreements will be looked at more closely. [continues 172 words]
A failed Clinton experiment in Colombia, the Colombia Plan, should not be continued under President Bush. The president visited Colombia in November to discuss further funding of counter-narcotics efforts. One such effort, the aerial fumigation of coca (which is used to make cocaine), is harming innocent civilians and destroying the land and water. Why are we continuing to support a policy that doesn't work? Even when we manage to successfully reduce coca cultivation in one country, it moves to another country. [continues 75 words]
The letter "Drug dealers must be dealt swift justice" stated that "the deterrent for dealing drugs should be death." I would like to think that America is aware of two of its biggest "drug" addictions: cigarettes and alcohol. So, obviously, we must start the killing with the big drug conglomerates such as Philip Morris and Seagram's. After all, these companies are drug dealers as well. A drug can be any controlled substance that is addictive. Should these white-collar drug dealers not be persecuted as well, or do all of these problems have to continually lie on the shoulders of street drug dealers? The root of violent crimes lies with drug use, all drug use. The deterrent for dealing and using drugs isn't death, but more effective rehabilitation - -- and not in the form of incarceration. Leath Correctional Institution Greenwood [end]
The owner of a Spartanburg methadone clinic has received approval from the state Department of Health and Environmental Control to open a similar clinic in Gaffney. The certificate of need is in the mandatory 10-day stay that allows anyone wishing to protest to voice concerns to DHEC. Barring any protest, the facility will receive final approval Jan. 11, said Jerry Grice of DHEC. It will be between two and three months after Brady receives approval before his clinic opens. Gaffney Treatment Associates will be located in the adjacent suite to Dr. David Lydon's office at 103 Stuard St. [continues 343 words]
I'd like to address the article about Charleston City Police officers being assigned to Interstate 95 patrols. As a retired Navy Chief Petty officer, I can say that I'm tickled to death seeing Charleston police take a pro-active role in combating the drug traffic flowing up and down I-95, from Miami to New York. I spent just shy of 25 years serving our country and saw personally what drugs will do to people. I stand with Mayor Riley and Chief Greenberg in keeping those drugs off Charleston's streets. Perhaps the City Council needs to stop complaining about the cost we taxpayers are paying for these patrols and help our police department combat drugs, whether the drugs are in their districts or on I-95. Shawn W. Helton, North Charleston [end]
Solicitor Proposes Drug-Treatment Court Rock Hill's veteran drug task force has inspired 15th Circuit Solicitor Greg Hembree to expand the capabilities of a proposed narcotics squad for Horry and Georgetown counties. The expansion means a delay in the establishment of the squad that will combat drug-related crime across county and city lines, but Hembree says it will make the force more effective when it starts up, likely in early February. "It's changed, but it's changed for the better," Hembree said. [continues 454 words]
County To Consider Altering Zoning Laws A year has passed since Horry County's first methadone clinic opened its doors. The clinic was met by heated opposition. Critics, a state lawmaker among them, said it could endanger children who go to a neighboring school and those who live in the surrounding Waccamaw Pottery area. Police have reported no crime increase since the clinic opened. But the county will soon look at clamping down on where such clinics can be built. The changes will be included in a proposed overhaul of county zoning laws that could be considered by the county at the end of January. [continues 285 words]
The letter "Drug dealers must be dealt swift justice" stated that "the deterrent for dealing drugs should be death." I would like to think that America is aware of two of its biggest "drug" addictions: cigarettes and alcohol. So, obviously, we must start the killing with the big drug conglomerates such as Philip Morris and Seagram's. After all, these companies are drug dealers as well. A drug can be any controlled substance that is addictive. Should these white-collar drug dealers not be persecuted as well, or do all of these problems have to continually lie on the shoulders of street drug dealers? The root of violent crimes lies with drug use, all drug use. The deterrent for dealing and using drugs isn't death, but more effective rehabilitation - - and not in the form of incarceration. Leath Correctional Institution Greenwood [end]
Officials Attribute Decrease To Economy, Better Police Work The number of Lowcountry homicides plummeted last year to its lowest level in more than a decade, reversing a three-year trend and confounding authorities who aren't sure what's behind the plunge. After averaging more than a killing a week in 2003, the region saw its homicide tally decline by half last year. Nearly every corner of the Lowcountry saw fewer killings in 2004, with sizable drops in Charleston and Berkeley counties. Charleston County had 22 homicides, a four-year low. Berkeley County dropped from 15 slayings in 2003 to two last year, recording its fewest number of homicides in more than a decade. [continues 1493 words]
Thank you for the article in Sunday's Post and Courier about the Charleston Police Department's making drug busts in Santee, and for revealing the massive waste of police manpower and money and the questionable profiteering from these arrests and seizures. Drug busts have been going on forever, yet we are faced with more drugs and drug users than ever before. Just substitute the word alcohol for drugs in this article and you'd think we were living in the Prohibition era of the 1930s. Prohibition did not work then and it does not work now. Sue Jones Johnson [end]
MYRTLE BEACH--The success of Rock Hill's drug task force has inspired prosecutor Greg Hembree to expand a proposed narcotics squad for Horry and Georgetown counties. The move will delay the startup of the squad that will combat drug-related crime across county and city lines along the Grand Strand, but Hembree says the wait will make the force more effective. The task force, which Hembree expects to begin in February, would eliminate the city or county borders that can hinder police investigations, the prosecutor said. [continues 196 words]
Repetitive public-service announcements on television warning America's youth of the dangers presented by alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs might seem like tedious statements of the obvious to some adults, and even some youngsters. But judging from a sustained decline in the use of those substances by the nation's teenagers in a survey of 8th-, 10th- and 12th-graders, those education campaigns are conveying an effective lesson. The National Institute on Drug Abuse recently released a study, conducted for it by the University of Michigan, showing that the use of alcohol, cigarettes and illegal drugs in all three grades has declined over the past two years. As John Walters, director of National Drug Control Policy, explained on the Institute's Web site: "There are now 600,000 fewer teens using drugs than there were in 2001. This is real progress." [continues 154 words]
I cannot believe it. I see people selling drugs two blocks from my house downtown in the middle of the day, and the police are working on I-95. The taxes we pay downtown are more than sufficient to have the force needed to keep our streets as safe as possible from drugs. When the gunfire from competing drug dealers starts on the weekend, the thought of our police being 50 miles away is infuriating. If the city were looking out for its citizens, the police would be in our neighborhoods stopping speeders and people running stop signs and red lights. DENNIS FLEMING [end]
Inside South Carolina
