TOBACCO A GATEWAY DRUG TO ILLEGAL DRUGS

Maui Drug Court strongly encourages its clients to kick the habit of a
legal drug, tobacco. Anyone familiar with addiction knows that tobacco
is our society's No. 1 gateway drug and a powerful relapse trigger for
those trying to stay drug-free.

Not only does tobacco kill 420,000 Americans yearly, it is
unquestionably a steppingstone, particularly for youth, to highly
addictive, lethal drugs like ice, heroin and crack cocaine - all of
which are smoked today.

Marijuana belongs with these and rivals tobacco as a gateway drug. Pot
is not harmless, nor nonaddicting. Today's pot is a potent drug and
its use leads to mental, emotional and social impairments, especially
in younger, developing minds. Pot users and advocates are thoroughly
misguided, just as users and defenders of tobacco are.

I commend Maui Drug Court for its enlightened action on tobacco. I
wish Drug Court clients kicking the tobacco habit the best. Life in
all areas, including financial, will improve dramatically without
using our society's most lethal drug, tobacco.

Anyone who has anything to do with tobacco, including sellers, are
patently part of its destructive fallout, including its role as a
gateway drug. It is time for merchants who profess to care about their
communities to voluntarily stop selling this deadly, addictive
product. They can choose to do the right thing, and should,
irrespective of the fact that tobacco is legal.

The day can't come soon enough when tobacco is relegated to the same
junk heap of history as the practices of crucifixion, slavery and
other repugnant customs of humanity once considered acceptable.

JEROME KELLNER

Wailuku