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. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman