U.S. MUST DEAL WITH DRUG USE AT HOME

Re: the March 25 article titled, "Rep. Kolbe backs use of herbicide in
Colombia drug battle."

Congressman Jim Kolbe, on a mission to Bogota, Colombia, reported that the
herbicide glyphosate (brand name Roundup) is so safe he uses it for weed
control on his own property. Spot treatment for weeds is one thing;
area-wide spraying to kill coca, the source of cocaine, is another matter.

The State Department informs us that Roundup is "safe"; there are no
harmful effects. While that statement may be technically correct for the
pure chemical, it is not so for the formulated product.

A 1998 study of Roundup published in the Journal of Pesticide Reform states
human exposure to Roundup results in eye and skin irritation, headaches,
nausea, skin rashes, high blood pressure and reduced sperm counts.

But why worry? It is only Colombian farmers who are being exposed.

The real problem is that Roundup is not a selective herbicide that kills
only weeds. Rather, it kills all vegetation, including the alternative
crops the United States is urging Colombians to plant. In other words, we
are making life miserable for Colombians because of drug use in the United
States.

The drug war in Colombia, initiated by Bill Clinton, is being
enthusiastically continued by Bush. It seems to be the one Clinton program
not being overturned by the new government.

Chemical warfare against Third World nations seems easier for us than
dealing with the hard realities of drug use at home.

Bill Plapp
Retired professor of pesticide chemistry