CALL A DOCTOR OR A LAWYER? DEPENDS ON WHO'S DOING DRUGS

The local courts were mostly shut down this past week because of a judicial
conference, but even so, there were a few cases on the docket Friday in
Municipal Court. Twenty-four of the cases were drug offenses. These cases were
mostly in their beginning stages, so there was a certain nonchalance about the
defendants as they stood around in the hallway.

Still, there was something powerful about the sight of all these citizens -
mostly young, mostly black - casually taking their places in the pipeline to
prison. Not all of them are going to go to prison on these particular charges,
but at the very least, these charges represent a first step toward prison.
Maybe some of the defendants will get probation for these charges, but six
months from now, they'll be busted again. As I said, they're in the pipeline.

On this same Friday morning, Rush Limbaugh took to the airwaves. I tuned in to
find out if he was going to address published allegations that he has been
implicated in a drug-ring investigation. According to articles in Newsday and
the National Enquirer, Limbaugh's former maid has told prosecutors that over a
period of more than four years, she illegally supplied him with thousands of
painkillers. She claims, according to these stories, that he was addicted to
OxyContin, a drug sometimes referred to as "hillbilly heroin." The Newsday
story quoted a law enforcement source who said that Limbaugh was not a major
target of the investigation. "The addicts are not our principal target," the
source said.

I thought of the people at the courthouse. Maybe they weren't principal
targets, but sometimes the net pulls in some very small fish.

Limbaugh chose not to address the allegations about drug use. A day earlier, he
released a statement. "I am unaware of any investigation by any authorities
involving me. No governmental representative has contacted me directly or
indirectly. If my assistance is required in the future, I will, of course,
cooperate fully."

That is not exactly a resounding denial. Where was the righteous indignation
one might expect from a man falsely accused?

One possible answer, of course, is that the reports are true. If that turns out
to be the case, you can be sure we'll be hearing stories about personal
problems of one sort or another that led the talk-show host to get involved
with the drugs. The addiction will be discussed as a medical problem.

Just like it was for Cindy McCain. The senator's wife was addicted to
painkillers. She didn't have a maid score for her. She stole her drugs from the
American Voluntary Medical Team that her husband had founded to provide
emergency medical services around the world. When she confessed to stealing the
drugs to support her addiction, no charges were filed. It was a medical
problem. She received treatment.

Drug addiction was a medical problem when Jeb Bush's 26-year-old daughter,
Noelle, was arrested last year for trying to use a fraudulent prescription to
buy Xanax. She went to a drug rehabilitation program, where she was caught with
more prescription pills, and later she was accused of having crack cocaine.
Still, it was a medical problem.

That's fine with me. As regular readers know, I'm a proponent of legalization.
Give up on the war on drugs, and treat addiction as a medical problem.

Of course, there are some powerful voices on the other side.

"Drug use, some might say, is destroying this country . . . And so if people
are violating the law by doing drugs, they ought to be accused and they ought
to be convicted and they ought to be sent up."

So said Rush Limbaugh in October 1995. Whether he still believes that in
October 2003, I don't know. But I would like to see some consistency on the
part of Limbaugh and his legions of followers. If addiction is a medical
problem for him, it ought to be a medical problem for everybody.