WAR ON DRUGS

To the editor:

Have you seen the new television ads used in the "war on drugs"? One, a
series of close-ups, shows faces of teen-agers speaking. Voices alternate
between "justifying" use of illegal drugs and "admitting" responsibility
for crimes ranging from murder to terrorism. The newest strategy, it seems,
is to blame kids for a range of persistent problems; organized crime,
violence, terrorism.

But should we consider another possibility? Is there a different angle? Is
it the "use" of drugs which is the "cause" of these problems, or do these
ads underscore a different truth?

Do the drugs themselves cause violence, breed organized crime or finance
terrorists? That would be hard to prove. In fact, it is hard to deny our
policy of "prohibition," driving drug use underground and planting it in a
lawless environment, is what enables criminals and terrorists to reap
enormous profits from drug trafficking. It is the profit which leads to
violence. Though these drugs are dangerous and have led to addictions, most
of the tragedy is caused by "criminalization".

Don't forget, while we cut back support for our schools, or health care for
our poor and elderly, how much we spend on this "war": increased law
enforcement, the heavy burden on the court system, all the prisons, ruined
lives of crime victim and convicted felon alike, even the cost of these
advertisements.

When you watch these ads, look for the real message.

William J. Skepnek,

Lawrence