From: Jim Rosenfield <[j n r] at [igc.apc.org]>
Newsgroups: talk.politics.drugs
Date: 04 Jun 94 11:05 PDT
Subject: Re: American Medical Association

Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) June 1, 1994
does indeed include a set of excellent papers onthe drug wars.
here are a few of the titles:

Drug prohibition -- Time to reconsider?
Change of Heart, Perhaps, but not of Legislation
Collateral casualties Climb in the Drug War
Harm Reduction Approach May Be Middle Ground
Military's Counterdrug Strategy Restructured
Medical Marijuana: A Trial of Science and Politics
AMA Policy Says No to Legalization
FDA Trying to Make a Case for Tobacco Regulation

Drop me a line and I will fax the 10 page set of feature articles
to you.  If you prefer mail, send me your address with your
request.

Jim

--------------------------------------------------------------
Jim Rosenfield                          Peacenet: [j n r] at [igc.org]
tel:  213-836-0926                      Compuserve: 72341,3027   
off:  213-721-5525 ext.300              fax:  213-722-6642


JAMA Articles:

Here is a quote from one of the articles in the June 1, 1994 JAMA.....

(this paragraph occurs inthe midst of a discussion of "Collateral Casualties
Climb in Drug War")

"Opponents of needle exchange programs argue that providing addicts with
sterile needles condones their illegal behavior.  However, advocates
for these programs say that at least some of this resistance reflects
an underlying belief that illicit drug users should pay for their
crime with their lives and that their deaths will deter others from
using such drugs."

This is something I have often thought to myself but have never
heard uttered out loud.  I think this is important because there
is so much disinformation and hypocrisy, we must identify
what is really going on and articulate it forcefully.  What is
really behind the war on drug users?

Congratulations to the very conservative JAMA in bringing many of
these things to light in their current issue in a thoughtful,
evenhanded and provocative way.  May I suggest we all write to
the editors and the authors and thank them.  I also recommend that
we take copies of the issue to any public figures who have influence
in the communities.

Jim