IT'S AN ECONOMIC DECISION TO BAN DRUGS

Society, like individuals, is prone to repeat the same mistakes. Recent
letters to the editor of our paper have promoted the legalization of
addictive drugs. A hundred years ago, there were no laws in our country
regarding the use of drugs. Heroin stalls, brothels staffed by drug
addicts, and widespread destruction of human life characterized the drug
culture.

The anti-drug organizations of the 19th century became organized nationally
in the early 20th century. The loss of young people, even children before
the age of accountability, to the drug culture helped mold the mood of
society to place controls on the use of addictive drugs. The law
controlling drugs had a far-reaching effect on all of society. Many popular
foods were banned or modified. Even Coca-Cola had to take the cocaine from
its product.

The banning of addictive drugs was successful and society was appreciative,
but one addictive drug, alcohol, was still a part of the scene. Demon Rum
was doing some of the same damage to humanity that addictive drugs were
accused of doing. The national organizations that were successful in
outlawing drugs now organized to do the same for alcohol. The temperance
leagues found a new kind of war against alcohol, but were successful. The
temperance leagues learned that John Barleycorn had lots of public enemies
and public friends.

The 18th Amendment to our Constitution became effective on June 20, 1920.
This was a case where the temperance leagues won the battle, but lost the
war. The politicians out-smarted them in the writing of the law. The
Volstead Act made it against the law to manufacture, transport, and sell
alcohol. It was not against the law to have whiskey, nor was it against the
law to drink whiskey.

President Wilson saw the failure of the law and vetoed it. It was passed
over his veto. We refer to it as Prohibition, but as a law, it was a farce.
Society recognized the 18th Amendment as a failure and repealed it during
the Depression of the 1930s.

The control system for alcohol led to several changes in the manufacture
and dispensing. Systems for dispensing were the state monopoly, as North
Carolina has, and the licensing system. Another major change since the
Volstead Act was repealed was drastically reducing the amount of alcohol in
the beverage. Most whiskeys now are no more than 80 proof or 40 percent
alcohol.

Letter-writers to our paper have encouraged the creation of a control
system, like alcohol, to dispense heroin, cocaine and other addictive drugs
at the request of adults. The experience with alcohol has taught us much.

The alcohol-dependent person goes through a cycle that helps build a body
tolerance for alcohol. As he drinks, the body's resistance to alcohol
becomes stronger. He gets to where he can "hold his liquor," remaining
seemingly sober though he has drunk large amounts of whiskey, but then his
body systems fail him.

After years of drinking, his body loses its resistance, and when he drinks
an ounce of alcohol, it goes straight into his bloodstream and he is
falling-down drunk. He is at a loss to understand what has occurred in his
life. The alcohol-dependent person can usually work for 20 to 25 years
before his health and ability to work ceases.

Not so with the drug user. The drug user's health and ability to work
decreases rapidly. It is estimated the drug user can give society no more
than one to two years work before he becomes a drone. Further, drug users
need a greater share of health care than is normal, thus making their
existence more expensive for us all.

Our government has decided that it can tolerate alcohol use because the
alcoholic can give society from 20 to 25 years of productive work. Society
can afford the alcoholic easier than the drug addict. The government's
decision to outlaw drugs is purely economic, rather than moral.

We can make a strong case for outlawing both drugs and alcohol, but for
now, money is a stronger force than morals.