Pubdate: Sat, 18 Apr 2015
Source: Dallas Morning News (TX)
Copyright: 2015 The Dallas Morning News, Inc.
Contact: http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/send-a-letter/
Website: http://www.dallasnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/117
Author: James L. Gapra

LEGALIZING DRUGS IS NOT THE ANSWER TO A GLOBAL ISSUE

I am continually amazed by all the so-called experts moaning that the 
war on drugs is a lost cause and that nothing has changed in 40 years. 
This rhetoric spewed by legalizers, libertarians, talking media heads 
and many in Congress is a tactic that combines emotional capital with 
fallacious information to seek drug legalization under the guise of 
liberty, capitalism and countering racial bias.

Those of us who have challenged those assertions with facts that prove 
otherwise have routinely been attacked professionally and personally, 
accused of nefarious motives for our positions. I have often found these 
responses laughable while at the same time sad, because supposedly 
reasonable and intelligent people are hell-bent on destroying the next 
generation of Americans.

Substance abuse and addiction cost American society $600 billion 
annually, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. These 
figures take into account tobacco, alcohol and illicit substances. To 
suggest that legalizing any illicit drug will have a positive impact on 
this number or improve the safety and security of our society is 
illogical. Legalizing marijuana or any other illicit substance will do 
nothing but increase the number of users and the societal costs 
burdening our country.

Time and time again, researchers, social scientists and law enforcement 
professionals have witnessed that as the perception of harm for 
marijuana or any drug decreases, use and abuse increase. Look no further 
than the acute issues arising in Colorado and Washington since those 
states approved the recreational use of marijuana.

Regulations or regulatory processes and procedures are often touted as 
the answer to mitigate use and abuse of the proposed legalized 
substance. I have been told a number of times that it is easier for kids 
to get marijuana than alcohol because, as they say, alcohol is 
regulated. During an event some years ago, I challenged a former school 
administrator who made that statement and asked him what his factual 
basis was. His reply: Ask any schoolkid.

The fact is, marijuana use by teens is second to the use of alcohol by 
teens in almost every state. Last year in its "Monitoring the Future" 
study, New York University's Center for Drug Use and HIV Research found 
that two-thirds of surveyed teens reported drinking alcohol and 50 
percent said they smoked pot. So much for the regulatory process having 
a mitigating effect on use and abuse. There is, however, growing 
evidence that more people are seeking treatment for marijuana dependence 
than for problems with all other illicit drugs combined. This alone 
should cause us to think critically about the consequences of pursuing 
outright legalization in the United States.

Regardless of the constant rhetoric, there are no 800,000 nonviolent 
drug users in state, federal and county jails and prisons, and the U.S. 
does not warehouse addicts and users as a policy. Statistics reveal that 
those prisoners incarcerated for simple possession make up one-tenth of 
1 percent of all inmates, and they probably have pleaded down from more 
serious crimes. The statistics further reveal that the overwhelming 
majority of individuals doing time for drugs are incarcerated for felony 
drug-trafficking offenses. This is not to say that some addicts and 
users have never spent time in jail. Some addicts have served jail time 
for crimes committed under the influence.

In addition, in some states if you are caught in possession of a small 
amount of marijuana you may still be processed by the local police and 
temporarily held in custody. That said, many states have pursued 
decriminalization, not legalization, of small amounts of marijuana, 
resulting in simple fines or very low-level offenses. However, to 
suggest that law enforcement agencies and more than 900,000 federal, 
state and local officers are simply looking to arrest "Billy and his 
bong in his basement" is just another part of the emotional tactic that 
is not supported by facts.

Drug trafficking, as well as use and abuse, is a global problem that 
requires global partnerships to respond effectively. Until recently, the 
U.S. had taken the lead, and its comprehensive strategy served as an 
example of how to combat this issue. The past 30 years of illicit-drug 
prohibition in the United States has been tremendously successful on 
that front. Cocaine use and abuse have dropped more than 45 percent, and 
a 75 percent reduction in cocaine-production capacity has been achieved 
through strategic partnerships and the commitment and political will of 
the government of Colombia. These successes were born of a 
comprehensive, multidisciplinary drug policy that includes enforcement, 
treatment, education and global partnerships.

Unfortunately, the U.S. now appears positioned to give up its role as a 
global leader in favor of pursuing legalization as a so-called 
progressive answer to a global criminal and social problem.

During my testimony before the Senate Drug Caucus last year, I drew on 
my years of experience as a federal narcotics agent and stated that drug 
legalization in our country is reckless and irresponsible. During my 
tenure as a government executive, I routinely advised legislators and 
civic leaders, as well as Department of Justice officials, that we have 
a responsibility to the next generation and that if we disregard the 
drug issue in our country under the guise of liberty, we must be willing 
to accept the consequences that are sure to come.

Following my testimony, I received a copy of a letter that was sent to 
President Barack Obama and signed by several members of Congress from 
both sides of the aisle that declared that my statement before the 
Senate "served no purpose other than to inflame passions and misinform 
the public." I was taken aback by how the truth based on evidence can be 
dismissed by those who are sworn to uphold the Constitution and ensure 
that the next generation has an opportunity to be successful. These 
legislators have forgotten that the first duty of government is the 
protection and security of the governed, even if that means to protect 
them from harming themselves.

Legalization is not the panacea to the drug issue in America or the 
global arena.

Legalization will only exacerbate the social costs and tragedy that 
increased addiction will ultimately bring. Gov. John Hickenlooper of 
Colorado recently reiterated his position that marijuana legalization in 
his state was reckless, as he is now undoubtedly witness to the social 
and societal costs that come with such an irresponsible piece of 
legislation.

American history - as well as examples from many parts of the world - 
provides ample evidence that legalization has never worked as an 
effective strategy to combat drug use and abuse. We must remain vigilant 
to pursue a well-rounded, comprehensive, global strategy that gives hope 
for the next generation and minimizes the threat that drug use and abuse 
pose to the most vulnerable in all societies.

James L. Capra is CEO of the Front Line Leadership Group and the author 
of "Leadership at the Front Line: Lessons Learned About Loving, Leading 
and Legacy from a Warrior and Public Servant." He retired from the Drug 
Enforcement Administration as chief of operations.
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