BENSINGER '58 BACKS WAR ON DRUGS

By His Own Estimation, Peter Bensinger '58 Is Not One Of The Best-Liked Men
In Yale's History.

"I'm probably the grad that has been sued the most," he said jokingly.

Bensinger, CEO of Bensinger-DuPont and former Director of the U.S. Drug
Enforcement Agency, discussed his litigation-prone experiences under the
Ford, Carter and Reagan administrations and current and future prospects
for the drug war at Dwight Hall Thursday. The talk marked the final event
of "Intersections," a year-long program designed to provide a forum for
students to reflect on the work they have engaged in within the community.

Over the past three decades, Bensinger has been at the center of the war on
drugs, which, he said, has left him with many enemies and many lawsuits.
But he has never lost.

"I've never been found guilty of violating anyone's civil rights because no
one has a civil right to break the law," Bensinger said.

Bensinger said his interest in social justice began to take shape during
his days a Yale undergraduate. "When I was here, I was actually a volunteer
at Dwight Hall," he said. "I worked with a variety of programs."

But it was only after 10 years in business that Bensinger switched to the
field that he still works in today. He currently runs Bensinger-DuPont, a
Chicago-based consulting firm that helps individuals solve problems such as
gambling and drug abuse.

Drug issues, Bensinger said, present the same problems they did 30 years
ago. He said there is hope in the reduction of drug abuse, but "there is no
magic wand." He suggested the need for major reform to curb drug abuse, but
opposed the legalization of drugs like marijuana as a remedy.

"Marijuana shouldn't be legalized," he said. "It is difficult to justify it
on a medical basis. The FDA has not approved this drug. It's not medically
sound. If the medical community think it's a cure, then let them have it."

Rather than reducing drug abuse, Bensinger said "legalization would open up
the gates for more addiction."

As far as punishment for drug abuse, Bensinger stressed the need for more
and better prevention and treatment programs.

"I'd like to see fewer people in prison and better probation," he said.

But, at the same time, Bensinger championed the enforcement of existing
anti-drug laws.

"Don't give up enforcement any more than you do with the speed limit," he
said. "Because when you do, you'll have accidents."

After his talk, Bensinger fielded questions that ranged from issues of drug
and race to his work in Latin America as Director of the DEA.

Students appreciated Bensinger's talk for its freshness, but some thought
many questions were left unanswered.

"I feel like it was interesting to hear [Bensinger's] perspective," Chiraag
Bains '03 said. "But I still am not sure about a lot of what he said. I
feel the war on drugs has been misguided and has resulted in
disproportionate incarceration of people of color. He really never touched
on that."