Pubdate: Thu, 16 Mar 2006
Source: The Exchange (NH Edu)
Contact:  http://eraven.fpc.edu/exch/12/index.shtml
Address: 20 College Road, Rindge, New Hampshire 03461-0060
Copyright: 2006 The Exchange
Author: Thomas Ahronian

LEADER OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AGAINST PROHIBITION (LEAP) SPEAKS AT FPC

Drugs, disease, crime, corruption and racial profiling were just some 
of the subjects covered by retired undercover narcotics officer Jack 
A. Cole in his discussion about drug legalization on Thursday, March 
9th in Marcucella Hall.

Four years ago, Cole and four other officers started an international 
nonprofit organization called Law Enforcement Against Prohibition 
(LEAP). The goal of LEAP is to educate the public on the negative 
consequences of the continuing war on drugs.

Cole, LEAP's executive director, gave a presentation that was filled 
with jaw-dropping statistics, all which back up his belief that the 
drug war (a term coined by President Nixon in 1968) has caused more 
problems than it solved.

"If we end drug prohibition, like we ended alcohol prohibition in 
1933, we would lessen the incidents for death, disease, crime and 
addiction," said Cole.

Cole reported that 1.6 million people are arrested on drug charges 
every year. He pointed out that the government spends over $69 
Billion every year punishing these criminals. Cole also displayed 
some solutions to what he, in addition to LEAP's 5000 or so other 
members, consider to be a very big problem.

One solution advocated by LEAP would be for the U.S. to adopt drug 
policies like those in the Netherlands. The Netherlands has a far 
lower percentage of drug related crime, addiction, and an even lower 
use of soft drugs such as marijuana. Cole believes this is due in 
large part to the Netherlands treating drug addiction as a health 
issue instead of a crime.

Cole explained that he reversed his personal feelings on the war on 
drugs in 1973. His new stance on drug use came after about nine years 
on the New Jersey State Police department, three of which were spent 
as an undercover narcotics investigator. Cole did not retire, 
however, until after spending 26 years with the New Jersey State Police.

"I had an epiphany," said Cole. "I found that I liked the people I 
was working on better than those I was working for. They seemed less 
likely to turn their backs on me."

This event was sponsored by Students for a Sensible Drug Policy 
(SSDP). SSDP is a national organization with a chapter at Franklin 
Pierce College.

Junior Jonathan Perri is president of their SSDP chapter.

"Law enforcement officials are among our greatest allies in ending 
the war on drugs," said Perri.

SSDP is committed to the same type of drug war education as LEAP. The 
FPC chapter of SSDP focuses more on this issue from a student level. 
One of their main goals to repeal the Higher Education Act (HEA) drug 
provision, which is a law that has denied federal financial aid to 
over 200,000 students because of a drug conviction.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman