PROHIBITION REVISITED

Kudos to Brian Dupre for his thoughtful editorial titled "New Strategy For
War On Drugs" (2/16/00). I have been critical of The Texan's coverage of
the War on SOME Drugs, and it is refreshing to see some balance. Mr.
Dupre's insight is correct, this nation's War on SOME Drugs is a failure,
even if the government's propaganda says otherwise.

Recently, the U.K. drug tsar, Keith Hellawell, and Cabinet member, Mo
Mowlam, acknowledged that their own U.S.-style War on SOME Drugs is not the
best way to go. These two outspoken politicos have called for a
liberalization of cannabis laws in the U.K. Perhaps the U.S. and the U.K.
should look to the Dutch model as a working example of a beneficial harm
reduction plan. The current U.S. War on SOME Drugs is largely based on
misinformation that has been propagated since the early 20th century. It is
time that the people of this great nation stand up to the oppressive forces
and demand that public policy be based on fact rather than fiction. The
governor of New Mexico, Gary Johnson, has already taken a great step
forward by publicly admitting that the U.S. War on SOME Drugs is a failure
based on misinformation and propaganda.

There is a difference between responsible drug use and drug abuse. No one
is advocating drug abuse, just as no one is advocating the sale of drugs to
children. U.S. drug czar Barry McCaffrey makes the anti-prohibition
movement sound like they want drugs in junior-high vending machines. This
is simply not the case. Responsible adult Americans can use drugs
responsibly. This has been proven time and time again.

Alcohol prohibition failed for this reason. The most commonly used drug in
America, caffeine, is not prohibited because people can use it responsibly.
After all, Texas' favorite son, George W., committed "youthful
indiscretions" which, in all likelihood, amounts to drug use. He was not
imprisoned for his use. Similarly, current drug users should not be
imprisoned for their use. This is a health issue, not a criminal one.

Thanks again to the Texan staff for the coverage of an anti-prohibition issue.

Jeremy R. Thompson
UT alum, 1997