Pubdate: Tue, 18 Feb 2003 Source: Statesman Journal (OR) Copyright: 2003 Statesman Journal Contact: http://www.statesmanjournal.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/427 Author: Paul Stone Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n059/a01.html PROHIBITION FEEDS DRUG WOES Your recent article about methamphetamine in our high schools was a case of the ostrich with its head in the sand. Meth has been in our high schools for 20 to 30 years. To think it's something new because of a large bust at McNary High School shows the media's ignorance and tendency to sensationalize. When you make blanket statements like, 'meth is a deadly weapon that has no place in the hands of anyone,' you demonize the drug rather than the behavior. Drugs can be good and bad. Have you told your readers that methamphetamine is a prescription drug under the trade name Desoxyn? One way to help curb this problem would be to decriminalize drugs. Prohibition of drugs enables kids access to all the drugs they desire. Didn't you know adults now go to kids for drugs? If it's more toxic now, that is directly due to the prohibitionist policies of government, which clamp down on the precursors to make meth. This results in a more toxic form of meth that is used by your sons and daughters. Just like prohibition of alcohol led to bathtub gin, this insane effort to eradicate all drugs has resulted in more poisonous speed. Paul Stone, Salem - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake