USE IS ABUSE

I strongly dispute the Tuesday letter of Suzanne Wills of the Drug Policy
Forum of Texas, in which she stated that heroin can be used responsibly.
There is no legally or medically accepted use of heroin, and there is no
responsible use for this devastating drug.

Heroin was developed, unfortunately, as a cure for morphine addiction,
which was rampant in the late 1800s. It has plagued us ever since. It is a
highly addictive drug and, after decades of research by the FDA and other
medical institutions, remains illegal for many reasons.

Where did Wills get the information that "patients who use heroin . . .
don't get high or addicted"? Physicians can't prescribe the drug, so I
wonder what "patients" she is talking about. Apparently she knows more than
the doctors who have undertaken studies on the subject. One thing is for
sure: Anyone using heroin will get addicted, and quickly. Some will die
even though treatment is available to help them.

Her statement that in 1995 more than 120 physicians had their licenses
revoked for prescribing narcotics was a half-truth at best. She forgot to
mention that they were either overprescribing narcotics, abusing the drug
themselves or violating federal or state narcotic laws. Revocation of a
physician's license is not done without sufficient reason and is done by
the state licensing board.

Parents at drug forums say they don't want their kids using drugs. That's
any drug, including marijuana! Promoting the use of any drug, under any
guise, is dangerous to our kids. That by itself is reason enough to take a
"no use" stance.

John Lunt
Fort Worth

Checked-by: Richard Lake