ALCOHOL ABUSE MORE PREVALENT THAN POT

Editor:

Re: 13 Fail Drug Tests, the Observer, Oct. 1.

Coun. Sushil Thapar's planned crusade into the schools of Quesnel to
renew the futile "war on drugs" betrays both a lack of understanding
and an unwillingness to recognize the realities of today's society,
not to mention the common understanding of the vast majority of
Canadians the innocuous herb marijuana is not considered to be either
a cause for concern or in any way a threat to normal, everyday
functioning, whether that be in industry, commerce, education, or
other professional fields.

Industry (especially mills such as West Fraser), being so intimately
connected with their U.S. corporate cousins, tend to espouse an undue
and irrational policy regarding the benign marijuana plant and then
feign surprise, if not outrage, that people, especially our younger
generation, exhibit signs of pot use when subjected to these immoral,
degrading urine tests as a prerequisite to piling lumber and other
onerous tasks ostensible presented as a gratuitous opportunity to
enhance their potential careers.

The article doesn't indicate the percentage of the unlucky 13 who
were "guilty" of smoking pot but one can assume it would be the
majority considering that cocaine use is an expensive habit and one
not easily accessed by young, poor, unemployed people. One can only
hope these disgraceful test results weren't then passed on to the police.

Experience over the past half a century has shown the antiquated
attitudes of people such as Sushil Thapar and the wood mills
executives are hypocritical and unproductive.

If I were to reveal to the public the names of all those individuals
who I personally know who are currently working within the various
professional fields noted above, who either use or have used
marijuana, it would, to borrow an old Hippie expression from the
'60s, "blow the minds" of people like Coun. Thapar and others who
appear to be so naively unaware of the pervasiveness of marijuana use
in this, and every other community in B.C. and Canada and elsewhere
around the world.

It's high time we grow up and accept the fact marijuana is not a
danger to society. All in all considered it would be more realistic
and honest if the mills and Coun. Thapar were to test new applicants
for alcohol use rather than marijuana for booze is the number one
cause of endless disfunctional behaviour and crime and disease in our society.

Arthur Topham

Cottonwood