ATHLETES AND DRUGS

Drug czar Barry McCaffrey misses a key point when he rails against
athletes' use of "nonperformance enhancing" drugs such as marijuana
(Commentary, Sept. 4). But for a drug test, the world's children would
never have learned of the personal habits of Olympic gold medalist Ross
Rebagliati. His performance clearly showed that it had no impact on his
ability to compete.

And as for professional basketball, if team owners were convinced that
occasional personal use of marijuana impaired performance, they would
certainly need no urging from a government bureaucrat to push for testing.

Since it is obvious, however, that they are not so inclined, who exactly
will benefit from "outing" the apparently large number of pot-smoking
athletes to their young fans? No one wants kids smoking pot. But the drug
warriors have to live with the consequences of their beloved prohibition.
One of these is that as greater numbers of people, and especially prominent
people like athletes, are drug tested, it will become only more apparent
that many of them lead quite successful, even extraordinary, lives despite
occasional marijuana use. By prohibiting marijuana, we ensure that our kids
have easy access to the stuff through an uncontrollable black market.

Adam J. Smith,
Assoc. Dir. Drug Reform Coordination Network, Washington

* McCaffrey provides an excellent example in the death of Len Bias. The
resultant drop in cocaine usage illustrates that freedom of choice is far
more effective than any hysterical war on drugs. Bias may have been foolish
to take drugs in his own pursuit of happiness, but nonetheless undertook
the risk of his own free will. No one in a free society had the right to
stop him as long as he did not physically harm another. When a prominent
athlete is arrested or suspended by his team for drug use, those who are
most at risk for drug abuse will view him as a victim or martyr.

If instead, he continues to play and becomes a washed-up loser, he sets a
negative example that demonstrates the debilitating effects of some drugs.

This will keep more people off drugs than draconian laws or propaganda.
Raymond F. Irvine Camarillo

* With all due respect to McCaffrey and his attempts to eradicate illegal
drug use in this country, I cannot agree with his assessment that
professional sports must take the lead in fighting this war. Too bad our
youth cannot look to the president for such guidance. Rather than demand it
of our elected officials, McCaffrey seeks to impute this responsibility to
professional athletes.

What a bunch of baloney! The war on drugs must be fought from the top on
down. I can hardly wait until the next presidential election in 2000.

Kevin Lee Smith San Pedro

Copyright 1998 Los Angeles Times.


Checked-by: Pat Dolan