DrugSense FOCUS Alert #249, Jan 14, 2002 Just Say NO! To Harsher Ecstasy Sentencing PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE The Drug Reform Coordination Network (DRCNet) has asked our assistance in reaching California voters about this important action. Please help us both as below, and by alerting any California citizens who may wish to help. Here is the DRCNet alert: Your help is needed to stop SB 1103 and AB 1416, bills in the California legislature that would enact a mandatory minimum 90-day jail term for being under the influence of MDMA (ecstasy). SB 1103 and AB 1416 would also classify MDMA as a schedule I substance under California law, and would further fuel the government's anti-ecstasy hysteria, waste taxpayer dollars and violate privacy. Please visit http://www.stopthedrugwar.org/ca-ecstasy/ to register your disapproval of this legislation with the California legislature and the governor. This is a very important issue because most drug enforcement is at the state or local level, which SB 1103 and AB 1416 will heavily impact. When you're done, please call, write or fax your State Senator and your State Assembly member to make even more impact on this issue (info below); and last but not least, forward this alert or use the tell-a-friend page on our web site to spread the word. Again, please visit http://www.stopthedrugwar.org/ca-ecstasy/ to contact your legislators through our on-line system. Even if MDMA were the dire threat some claim it to be, this bill would still be the wrong way to go and would do great harm to our nation's youth. Yet the government's reaction to ecstasy use is wildly disproportionate to the actual evidence. For example, the Drug Abuse Warning Network found only 27 known cases of ecstasy-related fatalities during the five-year period spanning 1994-1998 throughout the entire United States. While these 27 deaths are tragedies, that number is dwarfed by the millions who died from tobacco during that time, the hundreds of thousands from alcohol or the tens of thousands from aspirin! Even in face of rising use of ecstasy, the numbers are still minuscule. Perhaps worse, this law could stifle the provision of much-needed harm reduction information and resources to the very communities of young people we say we want to protect -- the kind of help that could have saved those 27 people. And perhaps worst of all, SB 1103 and AB 1416 go beyond conventional drug possession or distribution laws in the extent to which it creates a "thought crime," merely being under the drug's influence. Again, visit http://www.stopthedrugwar.org/ca-ecstasy/ to contact the legislature in opposition to this bill. Our web site will send an e-mail or fax to your state legislators and the governor; you may use our pre written version, or better yet, modify it or write your own. To follow up with your State Senator by phone, fax or mail, visit http://www.sen.ca.gov to look up your Senator and his or her contact information. If you don't have web access, you can get help from the Secretary of the Senate office at (916) 445-4251. Visit http://www.assembly.ca.gov for corresponding information on your State Assembly member. Visit the Center for Cognitive Liberty and Ethics at http://www.alchemind.org/dll/sb1103index.htm for extensive information on this bill and related issues. Visit http://www.dancesafe.org for harm reduction information and resources on MDMA and other "club drugs." Visit http://www.maps.org for information on MDMA research and other related topics. Again, please take two minutes and point your web browser to http://www.stopthedrugwar.org/ca-ecstasy/ to take a stand against hysteria and injustice. The Lindesmith Center - Drug Policy Foundation has also issued an alert. This page allows you to FAX the members of the California Senate and Assembly Public Safety Committees http://www.drugpolicy.org/action/ More information is available in The Week On-line article "New California Bill Would Mandate 90-Day Minimum Jail Term for Being Under Ecstasy's Influence" http://www.drcnet.org/wol/219.html#ca-ecstasy PLEASE TELL US WHAT YOU DID (Letter, Phone, fax etc.) Please post a copy report your action to the sent letter list () if you are subscribed, or by E-mailing a copy directly to if you are not subscribed. Your action will then be forwarded to the list with so others can learn from your efforts and be motivated to follow suit. This is VERY IMPORTANT as it is one very effective way of gauging our impact and effectiveness. TO SUBSCRIBE, UNSUBSCRIBE, OR UPDATE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS Please utilize the following URLs http://www.drugsense.org/hurry.htm http://www.drugsense.org/unsub.htm We wish to thank all our contributors, editors, Newshawks and letter writing activists. Please help MAP find news articles. Details at http://www.mapinc.org/hawk.htm = NOW YOU CAN DONATE TO DRUGSENSE ON-LINE AND IT'S TAX DEDUCTIBLE DrugSense provides many services to at no charge BUT THEY ARE NOT FREE TO PRODUCE. We incur many costs in creating our many and varied services. If you are able to help by contributing to the DrugSense effort visit our convenient donation web site at http://www.drugsense.org/donate.htm -OR- Mail in your contribution. Make checks payable to MAP Inc. send your contribution to The Media Awareness Project (MAP) Inc. d/b/a DrugSense PO Box 651 Porterville, CA 93258 (800) 266 5759 http://www.mapinc.org/ http://www.drugsense.org/ Just DO It!! = Please help us help reform. Send drug-related news to

Focus Alert Archive