PROPOSED BILL WOULD ALLOW LAWSUITS AGAINST DRUG DEALERS

Illicit drug dealers should be liable for the spoiled lives of drug
users, a father of a dead addict told lawmakers Thursday.

Now, Keith Thompson, with the help of Democratic Sen. Julia Boseman
of Wilmington, has proposed a bill to allow families, employers,
acquaintances or even individual narcotics users to sue dealers for
economic, mental and physical damages.

Under the bill, a dealer does not have to be responsible for the
damages. Virtually any person or group -- even the state -- could sue
any convicted peddler.

"Drug dealers are parasites in our community. They suck the quality
of life from our citizens," Thompson told a Senate committee
Thursday. "We must use any and all means we can to continue this war on drugs."

Thompson said his daughter, Blaire, had struggled with a heroin
addiction for years. But after going 90 days without feeding her
habit in 2004, she began talking about quitting her job as a
kindergarten teacher to write a book about the danger of illegal drugs.

Blaire's dealer called one morning to offer another fix. She
overdosed on heroin that night. She was 26.

Days after her death, Thompson confronted his daughter's dealer. He
was unable to persuade police to prosecute the man, who still deals
in drugs, Thompson said.

Under the bill, dealers could be forced to pay for injuries,
treatment, emotional distress or loss of enjoyment or companionship
suffered by drug users or those in their community.

The liberal-leaning American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina
opposes the bill. In a letter to lawmakers, the organization said the
measure was unconstitutional because the dealer sued doesn't have to
be the one who causes the injury.

The group argues that lawsuits wouldn't be effective deterrents and
say it would be difficult to determine dealers' assets.