U.S. DRUG POLICY NEEDS RE-EVALUATION

Recent revelations about the futility and outrageous expense of this
nation's "war on drugs" have left little doubt that philosophical
adjustment of public policy on this matter is both wise and inevitable.
Those who support the current policy of unselectively jailing the
possessors and distributors of fundamentally different substances are
either distressingly uninformed or stubbornly ignorant. Less clear than the
obvious need for change in the area of criminal penalties for involvement
with illegal drugs, but equally important, is the need for either the Food
and Drug Administration or the American Medical Association to impose
restrictions on the prescribing of completely legal, but extremely
dangerous, psychoactive pharmaceuticals.

From anti-depressants such as Zoloft and Prozac to anti-anxiety drugs such
as Xanax and Valium, it seems that any psychological malady can be remedied
through the use of a certain chemical.

I pose this question: Are illegal psychoactive drugs frowned upon because
they are habit-forming, impair judgment and disturb emotions, or simply
because they are illegal? Completely legal prescription pharmaceuticals
inflict the same "side" effects as street drugs. The likelihood of abuse is
comparable.

Massive pharmaceutical companies advertise these drugs on television and
for merely mentioning the possibility of these side effects, these
companies are exonerated of responsibility. Hey, that's capitalism, but
someone must take responsibility.

The abuse of prescription drugs has reached epidemic proportion in this
country, and the threat must be recognized as we reformulate our national
drug control policy.

BEN TRAYWICK

Columbia