END DRUG PROHIBITION

The tragic deaths of Sarah Stellner and Michael Ace from drug
overdoses, and the charges against the woman alleged to have sold
them heroin, should cause us all to reconsider drug policies which
have been burying our family members for decades.

Is prohibition the best way of addressing addiction? At first
thought, it would seem so. But prohibition does more harm than good.
In almost all these cases, the victims were misinformed about the
strength of the drug -- a tragic, needless mistake.

Currently, criminals are in charge of drug quality-control. Anyone
bringing an overdose victim to the hospital will likely be
prosecuted, perhaps for murder. So people die when they could easily be saved.

There are many new ways to keep people alive until help arrives.
Nobody has to die from heroin overdose. Single-dose units of naloxone
- -- an immediate-action heroin antidote; simple to use -- should be
made freely available to users. We also need a Good Samaritan law so
frightened young people will take proper action when needed. This is
all addressed by The Harm Reduction Coalition's "SKOOP" (Skills and
Knowledge On Overdose Prevention) program at harmreduction.org.

What we really need, of course, is regulated distribution of these
drugs. Then all the drug dealers would have to apply for a job at
Wal-Mart. And all the "cool" would go out of drug use.

- -- David Michon

Eau Claire