Pubdate: Mon, 11 Jun 2001
Source: Dallas Morning News (TX)
Copyright: 2001 The Dallas Morning News
Contact:  http://www.dallasnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/117
Author: Don Radke
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)

THE 'MARKETING PLAN' OF THE LAW

Re: "Drinking age might need to fall," Steve Blow's column, June 10.

"Tell teens they can't drink till 21, and you instantly create an 
exciting game of cat and mouse, a handy act of defiance and the 
allure of forbidden fruit ... The booze industry couldn't create a 
better marketing plan."

I wonder how much of this "marketing plan" can be attributed to the 
booze industry. The same marketing plan applies to illegal drugs as 
well, but it's not the drug makers' doing, either. Isn't it the 
marketing plan of the law?

Mr. Blow says we could learn from the French kids' "utter ho-hum 
indifference" to alcohol. We could learn much wisdom from Europe: 
Remove the "forbidden fruit" by legalizing drugs, subsidize them at 
cost, identify the abusers and provide help, and the black market is 
obliterated - no profit motivation, no victims, no enforcement, no 
lawyers, no fines, no court costs - and there goes your "marketing 
plan."

Don Radke, Denton, Texas
- ---
MAP posted-by: Josh Sutcliffe