LEGALIZING MARIJUANA USE WILL RESULT IN MORE TOKERS

Editor, The News:

Let's get one thing straight: Legalizing recreational marijuana consumption
will result in an increase in its use.

A Ministry of Health-funded study on cannabis consumption reveals that
contrary to the pro-pot propaganda - with which the mainstream media are
infested - a permissive attitude (e.g. legalization/decriminalization)
towards marijuana results in its increased consumption, and the detrimental
effects of that consumption, among youths.

The study, conducted by UBC's Institute of Health Promotion Research,
surveyed illicit drug use among 8,179 B.C. students, and then again during
the spring of 1995 at 20 schools province-wide.

One study supervisor, University of Victoria nursing school assistant
professor Marjorie MacDonald, noted that "kids who said their parents were
'strongly' against it were considerably less likely to use marijuana than
kids who said their parents were just 'somewhat' against it."

And it was found that the study's findings likely under-represent the true
level of drug use: "The kids who are absent on the day the survey was done
tend to be absent more often," MacDonald said.

"Generally, there's a relationship between kids and drug use on skipping
(classes), lateness and all those kinds of things."

Another example is the alcohol prohibition period.

One only need note the great increase in alcohol abuse following the
abolishment of alcohol prohibition earlier this century.

According to British Columbia health ministry literature, "Prohibition in
both Canada and the United States was successful in dramatically reducing
the extent of alcohol abuse and alcoholism, at least for the period of its
existence."

Frank G. Sterle, Jr.

White Rock