Pubdate: Wed, 26 Feb 2014
Source: Tampa Tribune (FL)
Copyright: 2014 The Tribune Co.
Contact: http://tbo.com/list/news-opinion-letters/
Website: http://www.tampatrib.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/446
Author: John G. Chase

WRONG GOAL

Regarding "The hype of drug legalization" (Other Views, Feb. 21): The 
problem with the drug war is not the hype; it's the goal: "to limit 
demand for drugs," as measured by annual surveys of drug use. The 
unstated assumption is that drug addiction will decline in proportion 
to drug use. It won't. When penalties rise and/or society frowns 
harder on drug use, large numbers of casual users quit, allowing the 
surveys to report success. But addicts continue to get their drug 
because they are, well, addicts. It is they - not the casual users - 
who damage society. The goal should be "to limit addiction to drugs," 
and the task be shifted from the Department of Justice to the 
Department of Health and Human Services.

John G. Chase

Palm Harbor
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom