DO NOT DROP SOCIETY'S GUARD IN WAR ON DRUGS

How ironic that a marijuana legalization endorsement in Nolan
Finley's Jan. 28 column, "We're fighting a losing war on drugs; it's
time to rethink policy" follows in the footsteps of The Detroit News
series, "Violence: A Hidden Epidemic." It's misguided journalism to
overlook the direct link between violence and marijuana or other drug
use.

According to a 1996 Michigan State University study, among two
samples of arrestees, 87 percent of juveniles have lifetime marijuana
use, while 41 percent of adults and 67 percent of juveniles are
current marijuana users.

Reducing the demand for drugs is a public health problem, not a war.
Now is not the time to put down our guard. The answer lies in
education, prevention, treatment and research.

The movie, Traffic, is only a Hollywood entertainment version of the
drug problem. Your readers deserve the facts. As the marijuana
legalization movement targets Michigan, we urge The Detroit News to
get out of the theater and hit the streets of Southeast Michigan.
Report on the reality of marijuana. Only then will you understand how
destructive your endorsement of the pro-pot movement is to our
community.

Susan L. Hiltz, Executive Director, Prevention Coalition of Southeast
Michigan, Southfield