Pubdate: Wed, 29 Jun 2005
Source: High Point Enterprise (NC)
Copyright: 2005 High Point Enterprise
Contact:  http://www.hpe.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/576
Author: Robert Gregg
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05/n999/a02.html

THE WORLD'S MOST DEADLY DRUGS ARE ALREADY LEGAL IN U.S.

I must tell Doug Brackett (Your View, June 19) that drug use is 
already socially acceptable. People openly use drugs every day.

The most deadly drugs known are tobacco and alcohol. He should know 
that secondhand tobacco smoke kills more people than all illegal 
drugs combined. I am sure I don't need to tell people of the deaths 
that result from alcohol.

Every day, people die from the long-term and short-term consequences 
of alcohol abuse. The majority of drug arrests stem from the legal 
status of marijuana, a drug to which not even one death has been attributed.

I also think that most people by now are aware of the benefits 
medical marijuana provide. The same cannot be said of the most 
dangerous drugs that happen to be legal.

As far as how to distribute the drugs, the free market has handled 
the distribution of alcohol and tobacco worldwide for centuries and 
no one has yet found a reason to stop it, except of course for the 
unfortunate experiment with prohibition.

ROBERT GREGG

Marshville
- ---
MAP posted-by: Beth