DRUG LAWS SEND MESSAGE TO YOUNGSTERS

RICHMOND--The laws we choose to enact and enforce indicate what kind of
society we want to affirm and what minimum standards we as a people say are
acceptable. Our laws against illegal drugs, marijuana included, say that we
do not want our children and others subjected to physical health problems
and violence, which would lead to a gradual and inevitable decline of
American society.

Children and teenagers are the most susceptible to the dangers of marijuana
use. In addition to marijuana's status as a "gateway drug"--that is, a drug
that will lead to the use of stronger, more dangerous substances--there is
the concern of serious health and mental consequences of its use. Marijuana
users absorb from three to five times as much carbon monoxide as cigarette
smokers, most likely because the smoke is held inside the lungs for longer
periods of time. It is plain to see that pot smoking is at least as
dangerous to the lungs as tobacco use.

In addition, science tells us that THC, the main active chemical in
marijuana, affects the human brain in gravely detrimental ways. Use of the
drug leads to learning difficulties, memory problems, trouble in
controlling emotion, and reduced attention span and motivation. Further,
young people are far more likely to engage in sexual behavior when they are
under the influence of alcohol or marijuana.

As adolescents enter the most crucial time in their development into
adults, this is not the behavior we should be endorsing as a society. While
it is true that many young people can gain access to alcohol, the
supposition that some children may also acquire marijuana--despite our
society's stance against it--is not a valid argument for removing barriers
to its availability.

But, more than just the physical and mental problems brought on by the use
of marijuana among young people, the societal ills that stem from this
substance abuse are enormous. Students who cannot concentrate or motivate
themselves to succeed in school are far along the road to a life of
underachievement. If a student does not perform well, if he does not seek
to make his way optimistically in life, the chances that he will quickly
become a contributing member of society are reduced. The idea that we
should embrace behavior that numbs a person's ability to be a benefit to
society is wrong.

There has been admirable work done to curb drunken driving, among teenagers
especially. I recently had the honor of presenting a program aimed at high
school students called "Brandon Tells His Story," during which I met
Brandon Silveria, a young man who was severely injured in a drunken driving
accident in 1992.

Though his speech and motor skills are still mightily impaired, he and his
father, Tony, travel the country telling their very personal story about
lives forever affected by misguided choices. As we fight to limit underage
drunken driving in the best ways we know how, to send the message that the
use of another dangerous drug is perfectly acceptable is a mistake.

Thus the argument that marijuana use affects only the users is faulty. Not
only do we see the effects in the dimmed future of users and the dangers of
injury, we also learn about the violent perils of drug use by reading
newspapers articles and watching the evening news on television.
Law-enforcement authorities will tell you that most violent crime is
drug-related, either combined with some form of robbery or vicious battles
over drug-dealing territory.

Legalization of pot, likely to include some form of government regulation,
will not completely take the industry away from the criminal element. There
will still be a thriving market below the governmental radar screen, just
as we see in the example of cigarettes smuggled from state to state to
avoid varying rates of taxation. Violence will still occur, people will die
and families will be destroyed.

No argument against the legalization of any illicit substance would be
complete without raising the memory of Sept. 11, 2001. On the day that 19
hijackers commandeered the cockpits of passenger airliners, they were
powered by several tangible energies: jet fuel, which propelled the
airplanes and turned them into massive bombs; intense hatred for America,
which convinced them they were on a righteous mission; and drug money,
which helped prop up the planning and execution of the attack.

The Bush administration reports that 12 of 28 terror organizations
identified by the State Department in October 2001 are supported in part by
the drug trade. Indeed, the Taliban, which provided a haven for Osama bin
Laden and his al-Qaida network, used drug profits to stay in power. The
United States of America owes it to its citizens to take a stand against
terrorism, against illegal drugs, and against the profits that fund such
unimaginable violence.

This is a time when Americans must reaffirm what we are as a nation. We are
the finest, fairest nation in history and we have always endeavored to set
an example to the world by what sort of behavior and standards we expect
from ourselves.

This is not the time to back away from statements that certain behavior is
wrong. Instead, it is a time to declare that our laws are meant to protect
people from harm, and we as a society intend to support them.