Pubdate: Sat, 20 Nov 1999
Source: StarPhoenix, The (CN SN)
Copyright: 1999 The StarPhoenix
Contact:  204 5th Avenue North, Saskatoon, SK, Canada S7K 2P1
Fax: (306) 664-0437
Website: http://www.saskstar.sk.ca/
Author: Ken Sailor

ANTI-DRUG WAR FINDS FAULTY VOICE

Although I usually enjoy Dr. W. Gifford-Jones's column, his one on the
effects of cocaine use in pregnancy (Can we rescue the children from
Neverland? SP Nov. 13) is so riddled with mis-information and drug-war
propaganda as to make me wonder about his critical faculties.

It is not hard to find studies of the effects of cocaine use during
pregnancy and they do not show a link between use of cocaine and birth
defects.

In fact, the existence of legions of babies permanently injured by
cocaine-crazy moms is just drug-war propaganda - which is the polite way of
saying it is a bald-faced lie.

I would hope that Gifford-Jones has better uses to make of his column than
to spread mis-information.

It is time to end the drug war. Drug addiction should be treated as a
health problem, not a criminal problem.

Ken Sailor 
Saskatoon

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