PRESCRIPTION-DRUG ABUSE

It's not just Florida that is experiencing an increase in
prescription-drug abuse. The trend is nationwide.

Drug tests are part of the problem. Marijuana is the only drug that
stays in the human body long enough to make urinalysis a deterrent.
This is no secret. Anyone capable of an Internet search can find out
how to thwart a drug test.

One of the many reasons the American Academy of Pediatrics opposes
student drug testing is that drug tests may compel marijuana smokers
to switch to harder drugs to avoid testing positive.

While culture warriors in Congress obsess over nonlethal marijuana,
prescription-drug-overdose deaths are skyrocketing. The U.S. Centers
for Disease Control report that prescription-drug overdose is now
second only to motor vehicle crashes as a cause of death from
unintentional injury in the United States.

The phrase "if it saves one life" has been used to justify all manner
of drug-war intrusions. Eliminating drug tests that encourage the use
the deadly prescription drugs has the potential to save thousands of
lives.

Robert Sharpe

Policy Analyst

Common Sense for Drug Policy

Washington