Pubdate: Wed, 09 May 2001
Source: El Paso Times (TX)
Copyright: 2001 El Paso Times
Contact:  http://www.elpasotimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/829
Author: Diana Washington Valdez, El Paso Times

DEA WORKSHOP DEALS WITH MYTHS OF DRUG LEGALIZATION

Photo by Victor Calzada / El Paso Times Christy Farrell, center, and Tommy 
Grado of Faith Christian Academy took notes during a presentation Tuesday 
by the Drug Enforcement Administration in West El Paso. DEA Special Agent 
David Monnette is at left.

Advocates who favor legalizing drugs nearly "bought New Mexico" during the 
recent legislative session, state District Attorney Matthew Sandoval said 
Tuesday.

"We have been targeted to become a state where drugs are legalized. The 
advocates for this spent lots of money and almost bought the state," said 
Sandoval of New Mexico, a guest speaker at a Drug Enforcement 
Administration workshop on the myths of drug legalization.

New Mexico law-enforcement officials "spent the 60-day legislative session 
with our backs to the wall, and this is not going to stop," he said.

Although legislation to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana failed, 
New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson says he continues to support the bill.

During the workshop, DEA Special Agent David Monnette rebutted a couple of 
statements Johnson made previously in a debate with former U.S. drug czar 
Barry McCaffrey. Workshop participants saw video excerpts of the debate.

Monnette also criticized what he said are misleading and misguided 
statements used by legalization advocates.

One of the myths, he said, is the idea that legalizing drugs will reduce 
violent crime.

Monnette said most inmates in U.S. jails today are serving time because 
they are repeat offenders of violent crimes -- homicide, robbery, assault, 
rape -- they committed under the influence of drugs.

Sandoval said that contrary to Johnson's statement that thousands of New 
Mexicans are in prison due to drug use, "there are zero inmates." Most are 
in state prisons for other crimes, he said.

DEA officials said the use of illicit drugs in the United States has 
dropped 50 percent since 1979, a clear sign that broad anti-drug efforts 
are working.

Stefanie Fraire, 17, a Paso Del Norte Academy student, said Tuesday's 
workshop helped dispel some wrong information about drug legalization. 
Fraire, who takes part in the DEA Teens in Charge program, said she was 
glad "to know what our plan was for fighting illegal drug use."
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MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens