Pubdate: Sun, 03 Dec 2006
Source: St. Petersburg Times (FL)
Copyright: 2006 St. Petersburg Times
Contact: http://www.sptimes.com/letters/
Website: http://www.sptimes.com/home.shtml
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/419
Author: Terry Kemple

REMEMBER ALCOHOL

Robyn Blumner's appeal to legalize drugs has a logical ring to it if 
you look narrowly at the aspect that she chooses to use as her 
rationale. Fortunately, those in positions of responsibility have 
looked at the overall ramifications of legalizing drugs and found her 
argument wanting.

She doesn't factor into her equation the dramatic cost to our society 
of the major mind-altering drug that is already legal. Traffic 
fatalities due to alcohol abuse are one of the leading causes of 
death in our country. Go to any prison, and the vast majority of 
those incarcerated are there for crimes committed while under the 
influence of alcohol. And those criminals include a huge number of 
minors who shouldn't have access to alcohol but who, because of its 
easy availability, are able to get it without any problem. Check the 
instances of child abuse, domestic violence and breakup of the 
family, and you'll find that alcohol use plays a key role in the 
tragic statistics in these areas.

Now take into account the lives simply ruined by alcohol addiction. 
Most of the homeless people on our streets are there due to mental 
difficulties, and most of those mental problems stem from abuse of 
alcohol. People who wind up addicted to alcohol don't take their 
first drink in order to become alcoholics. They take it because it's 
readily available.

I'm curious why Robyn Blumner chose not to take these clearly 
negative factors into account before promoting the legalization of 
any other mind-altering drug.

Terry Kemple

Executive Director

Community Issues Council

Valrico
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