As a parent helping two children navigate their teen years, and as a travel writer who has seen firsthand how Europe deals with its drug problem, I've thought a lot about American drug policy - particularly our criminalization of marijuana. Europe, like America, is dealing with a persistent drug-abuse problem. But Europe - which treats drug abuse primarily as a public health issue - measures the success of its drug policy in terms of pragmatic harm reduction. Europeans seek a cure that isn't more costly than the problem. While the U.S. spends its tax dollars on police, courts and prisons, Europe fights drug abuse by funding doctors, counselors and clinics. European Union policymakers estimate that for each euro invested in drug education and counseling, they save 15 euros in police and health costs. Similar estimates have been made for U.S. health-based approaches by the RAND Corp. and others. [continues 214 words]
Despite recent arrests of two athletes at Cape Fear High School for drug possession, county school officials remain convinced their drug testing program is helping deter students from drug use. "We haven't had the incidents of drugs and alcohol we've had in the past," said Fred McDaniel, student activities director for the Cumberland County Schools. "If a kid is a hardcore druggie, that kid's going to do it. There are people on the fence that don't know which way to go. This gives those kids an opportunity and a way to say no and pass up on that stuff." [continues 468 words]
Regarding Monday's Outlook article "No more excuses: Let's talk candidly about slavery / Response to Obama speech makes plain the race divide": By 1807, the British had abolished the slave trade. In 1833, they abolished slavery. In the United States, a strong abolitionist movement was well-established. Andrew Jackson was president from 1828 to 1836. In the midst of this, Jackson chose to enslave 140 humans for his personal convenience. My great-grandfather and his brother could afford only 40 human beings but made the same choice. "Evil," "mean" and "vicious" are strong words but appropriate. [continues 128 words]
The letter "Funding anti-drug efforts wise investment" seems to be based entirely on opinion. It's naive to believe that criminalizing drug users is effective when one looks at the statistics and consequences. In 2005, this country spent more than $45 billion on all aspects of the drug war. In 2006, nearly 800,000 Americans were incarcerated for marijuana offenses. Drug convictions inhibit their ability to receive financial aid for college and to find a good job. I Corinthians 15:33 says "Bad company corrupts good morals." These minor drug offenders are spending their time in the company of murderers, rapists, child molesters, etc. [continues 148 words]
Gordon Brown presents cannabis as an ethical question. New in No 10 last year, he raised the question of "whether it was right" to increase the penalties. This week he suggested cracking down was "the right thing to do". Fortunately, the drugs law framework means there can be no change until the experts have had their say. Unfortunately, the direction of the prime ministerial moral compass can override that advice. A leak yesterday revealed the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) has judged the current law as adequate, yet Mr Brown seems bent on pressing on regardless. [continues 363 words]
Medical marijuana users in Yuba County now have an identification card to verify possession of the drug. The card, which will cost $126, was approved by county supervisors Tuesday. The card is meant to provide uniformity across the state and give law enforcement an easier way to verify legal use of marijuana for medical purposes. Suzanne Nobles, director of the county's health and human services department, said roughly half of that fee will go to the state for administrative work and half will stay in Yuba County. [continues 219 words]
To the editor: Regarding Taylor Armerding's March 30 column, Rep. Barney Frank's marijuana bill is a step in the right direction. There is a big difference between condoning marijuana use and protecting children from drugs. Decriminalization acknowledges the social reality of marijuana use and frees users from criminal records. What's really needed is a regulated market with age controls. Separating the hard and soft drug markets is critical. As long as marijuana distribution remains in the hands of organized crime, consumers will continue to come into contact with sellers of hard drugs like cocaine and heroin. This "gateway" is the direct result of a fundamentally flawed policy. [continues 78 words]
The Twin Towers in New York were the first high-rises in history to collapse upon themselves because of a fire. 9/11 was the first time a private airplane was able to get within 10 miles of the Pentagon, and, oh yes, the Twin Towers' steel, like that of the Oklahoma disaster, was hauled away before anyone could inspect it. Well, if Willie Nelson has some suspicions about the official line I for one can understand why. Willie has indeed spent some time inside flying saucers, that is, the popular Flying Saucers nightclub in Memphis Tennessee. [continues 480 words]
It's not clear exactly when Jeremy Ward hit bottom. It could have been last October when the 20-year-old cocaine addict crammed a handful of pills down his throat, hoping the massive combination of antipsychotics and Valium would ease the pain of being dumped. One thing was certain: Ward needed help. And after about eight years mixing cocaine, marijuana and alcohol -- and with a baby boy on the way -- the veteran addict needed more than just a trip to detox to slow the speeding train of his addiction. [continues 617 words]
New Drug Testing Data Show Effects Of Supply Crunch John Walters, Director of National Drug Control Policy, highlighted new data showing significant reductions in meth and cocaine positivity rates in the American workforce, as well as continued disruptions in the supply of both drugs. According to data released today by Quest Diagnostics' Drug Testing Index (DTI), results from workplace drug screenings conducted in 2007 show a more than 50 percent decline in the percentage of positive tests for methamphetamine over two years, from 28 of every 10,000 people testing positive for meth in 2005 to 14 of every 10,000 testing positive for meth in 2007. [continues 495 words]
Public Television's Rick Steves Is Offering Fresh Ideas for a Tired Crusade, Says Timothy Egan The travel writer and public television host Rick Steves is a certain kind of innocent abroad - benignly suburban to the core, with a bit of a paunch and the ever-quizzical look of someone who would try raw squid for breakfast and not complain about it. At 52, he has spent a third of his adult life living out of a suitcase, ever in search of that bargain room with a view, encouraging his fellow Americans to become "temporary locals." His influence is vast and one of the reasons our citizens aren't more hated abroad in President Bush's final days. Mr. Steves, who lives just north of Seattle, is packing his wrinkle-free clothes for his latest expedition to Europe. One can only hope customs will let him back in, for Mr. Steves has become a most unlikely voice on behalf of ending the tragedy of the drug war. [continues 525 words]
