Source: The Washington Post Copyright: 1998 The Washington Post Company Pubdate: Sat, 26 Dec 1998 Contact: http://washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/edit/letters/letterform.htm Website: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ GERMAN DOCTORS REJECT PLAN ON SOFT DRUGS BONN -- Germany's main doctors' association rejected a suggestion by the nation's health minister to allow pharmacies to sell small amounts of soft recreational drugs. Andrea Fischer, health minister in the new center-left government, floated the idea this week, saying it could keep casual users from moving to more dangerous substances by "separating the markets for soft and hard drugs." Karsten Vilmar, head of the German Chamber of Doctors, disagreed. He called the proposal "a false liberalization" that would give a state stamp of approval to drug use and actually lead more young people into addiction. - --- Checked-by: Richard Lake