FOCUS ON DRUG LAWS

Your "Running wrong" editorial July 21 was timely as it appeared the
same day as a BBC story about serious questions on the reliability of
tests for erythropoietin, a blood booster that could give some
athletes in the upcoming Olympics a performance advantage. Dose
manipulation or the use of masking agents can frustrate test results.

While not immediately obvious, our drug laws have a strong
undercurrent of morality that produces inconsistent and often unjust
results. Many of the athletes cited in your editorial were charged
with lying to authorities, not with illegal drug use. Celebrities, and
that includes athletes, often get lighter treatment than the typical
criminal.

For example, when super model Kate Moss was caught using cocaine
illegally, she went on a quick trip from London to a rehab clinic in
Arizona while a normal defendant would be facing jail time for the
same conduct. Former Sen. George Mitchell's report on drug use in
Major League Baseball is really a national call to reconsider what is
right and what is wrong with our drug laws.

David Work