LETTER OF THE WEEK

TEENS AND DRUGS

By John Chase

The claimed 23 percent reduction of teen drug use from 2001 to 2006
is technically true but is still very small ( "Teens' use of illegal
drugs drops," Page 1, Friday ). For example, high-school problem
smokers ( those who smoke every day ) fell to 4 percent from 5
percent. That's 25 percent, according to data from monitoringthefuture.org.

Because the drug war gets the credit, let's look at the other side of
the ledger. First, the annual $10 billion spent to house half a
million drug prisoners and $20 billion spent by the federal
government on the drug war. Also, the unintended consequences:
Perjured testimony by government witnesses; women and low-level
dealers imprisoned because they have no information to offer
prosecutors. Consider how the exorbitant profit of the illegal
market attracts unskilled men to run "meth labs" and sell drugs on
the street. Finally, those suffering from illnesses who use narcotics
to relieve pain are sent to prison because they cut corners to get
the relief denied them by the Drug Enforcement Administration.

That 23 percent reduction is really a 1 percent decline in problem
smokers. Even if the drug war gets all the credit, it is a bad deal
for Americans.

JOHN CHASE

Palm Harbor, Fla.

Pubdate - Thu, 28 Dec 2006

Author - John Chase

Source - Washington Times (DC)

Referenced - http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v06/n1733/a06.html