Pubdate: Tue, 09 Apr 2002
Source: Ft. Worth Star-Telegram (TX)
Copyright: 2002 Star-Telegram, Fort Worth, Texas
Contact:  http://www.star-telegram.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/162
Author: Robert Sharpe
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n656/a06.html
Alert: It Is Not OK To Evict Granny http://www.mapinc.org/alert/0237.html

ZERO TOLERANCE

Don Erler's April 4 column on the "one-strike-you're-out" policy of the 
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development failed to fully 
acknowledge the law's potential collateral damage.

The zero tolerance law requires that entire families be evicted from public 
housing if anyone, even a guest, uses drugs. The youthful indiscretions of 
a rebellious teen-ager could result in homelessness for an entire family. 
According to the Monitoring the Future Survey, more than half of all high 
school seniors have tried an illegal drug at least once. Exposing 50 
percent of all families living in public housing to the dangers of living 
on the street is not the answer to America's drug problem.

Most teen-agers outgrow their youthful indiscretions involving drugs. An 
arrest and criminal record, on the other hand, can be life-shattering. 
After admitting to smoking pot (but not inhaling), Bill Clinton opened 
himself up to "soft-on-drugs" criticism. And thousands of Americans have 
paid the price in the form of shattered lives. More Americans went to 
prison or jail during the Clinton administration than during any past 
administration.

The short-term health effects of marijuana are inconsequential compared to 
the long-term effects of criminal records. Drug abuse is bad, but the 
zero-tolerance drug war is worse.

Robert Sharpe,

Drug Policy Alliance, Washington
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