Pubdate: Sun, 20 Jan 2013
Source: Americus Times-Recorder (GA)
Copyright: 2013 Creators Syndicate
Contact:  http://www.americustimesrecorder.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2819
Author: Bill O'Reilly
Note: Veteran TV news anchor Bill O'Reilly is host of the Fox News 
show "The O'Reilly Factor" and author of the book "Pinheads and 
Patriots: Where You Stand in the Age of Obama."
Page: 4A

JUST SAY YES

If you have kids, you most likely prayed hard that they would avoid 
drugs and alcohol. Once a child becomes intoxicated, childhood is 
over. The young person will never be the same again.

Thus, a sane society discourages substance abuse if only to protect 
children. A sane society does not put a happy face on inebriation. We 
are not a sane society. With almost 30 million Americans currently 
categorized as "substance abusers," you would think that Nancy 
Reagan's "Just Say No" campaign, which launched in 1983, would be 
resurrected. But saying no is not what America in 2013 is all about. 
Saying yes to whatever you want to do is the rule of the day.

Washington State and Colorado have legalized the use of marijuana, 
and many Americans are celebrating. As Bob Dylan once sang: 
"Everybody must get stoned!" The usual excuses are put forth: It's a 
freedom issue. We can tax the drug to generate revenue. It will get 
the criminal element out of it.

But the truth is that legalized pot (or drugs of any kind) creates 
massive unintended consequences.

- --In Holland, so many problems arose from pot being sold in "coffee 
shops" that a law banning the sale of cannabis to "foreigners" was 
passed. It seems the streets of Amsterdam, in particular, have become 
saturated with stoned people doing things outside that should be done inside.

- --The Netherlands recently passed a new law, forbidding children from 
smoking pot (SET ITAL) in school (END ITAL). That's right, some of 
the urchins were getting high between classes. One teacher told the 
press it's hard to stop that when pot is being sold legally across 
the street where hard-core drug addicts buy it and then sell it to 
the kids in order to get heroin money.

- --In Portugal, they have legalized all drugs. The result: 
Drug-related homicides have increased by 40 percent. Drug overdoses 
are up by 30 percent.

- --In Switzerland, drugrelated deaths doubled and the health care 
system was overwhelmed after heroin was made legal in Zurich. The law 
was rescinded.

But here in the USA, we are now bullish on pot. Willie Nelson wrote a 
book glorifying the drug. Snoop Dogg says he wants to teach his kids 
how to smoke reefer. And the media in general see marijuana as a 
harmless diversion. If you are down on pot, you are decidedly uncool.

Fine with me. I'll risk the stigma. According to the federal 
government, 8,400 Americans begin using drugs every day, half of them 
under the age of 18. And 68 percent of folks who become addicted to 
drugs begin with marijuana. Get the picture?

Celebrate the pot culture if you want. But know that you are not 
helping kids by taking the high road.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom