From: Eric Sterling <[e--r--g] at [igc.apc.org]>
Newsgroups: alt.drugs
Date: 07 Dec 93 16:57 PST
Subject: Surg. Gen Elders: Study Legalizati


		      SURGEON GENERAL ELDERS' CALL
		      TO STUDY DRUG "LEGALIZATION"
		       TO FIGHT VIOLENCE IS RIGHT

	WASHINGTON -- Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders speaking on
	violence as a public health issue at a National Press Club
	luncheon Tuesday said it would be worthwhile to study the
	legalization of drugs because it might lower rates of
	violence.

	"The Criminal Justice Policy Foundation agrees that a
	study of regulating, licensing, and taxing the commerce in
	now illegal drugs is urgently needed.    Violence is the
	number one public health problem in much of America.  Drug
	prohibition is the cause of much of that violence and thus
	is one of America's leading causes of violence.  Careful
	regulation of the drug business will reduce the number of
	homicides in American cities.  Surgeon General Elders
	stands in the tradition of crusading Surgeon Generals for
	taking political risks to pursue novel approaches to major
	public health crises," said Eric E. Sterling, President of
	the Foundation.

	A study of murders in New York City in 1988 showed 52.7%
	were drug related.  74% of the drug related homicides were
	in the course of the illegal drug business (93% of those
	homicides were crack or cocaine business-related). (Study
	by Paul J. Goldstein, Ph.D., now at Univ. of Ill. at
	Chicago, 312-996-6038, published in Oct. 1992 issue Crime
	and Delinquency).

	"Of course a great many issues have to be addressed to
	reduce America's crime and violence problem.  We should
	not let political cowardice or prejudice lead us to
	prejudge the idea of 'legalization.'  Concern about the
	unintended consequences of legalization is logical, but
	fear should not prevent us from studying the effectiveness
	of a new anti-drug policy because it is simplistically
	labeled 'legalization.'  It is legal to sell insurance,
	but Bill Clinton can't sell insurance policies on the
	street corner without a license.  Drug legalization must
	be regulation and control.  We need to get smarter about
	preventing violence.  Leaving the drug business in the
	hands of street gangs and organized crime is not very
	smart," said Sterling.
				 (more)
Elders Call for Legalization -- Add 2

	"Earlier this year, Dr. Lee Brown, the drug 'czar' said
	'legalization is the moral equivalent of genocide.'
	Obviously Dr. Brown doesn't know what legalization is or
	what genocide is.  Such highly-charged rhetoric is beneath
	him.  It is thinking in race stereotypes to say that
	policing and regulating the drug supply is going to lead
	to mass deaths among African-Americans.  Actually,
	African-Americans seem to be less attracted to drug use
	than are whites, according to national drug use surveys.
	Indeed, looking at the data Dr. Elders' presented Tuesday
	it would be more logical to argue that current drug
	prohibition policy is genocidal since the victims of
	prohibition violence are overwhelmingly young African
	Americans," added Sterling.

	Prohibition violence is affecting young children and needs
	to be studied.  Dr. Elders pointed out that 90% of
	children age 10 years or younger in Washington, DC and New
	Orleans had witnessed some type of violence, and over 70%
	had witnessed weapons being used.  It is believed by many
	anti-violence researchers that exposure to violence
	substantially increases the likelihood that one will
	commit violent acts.

	"We also need to examine the effect of police raids on the
	lives of American children, especially minority children
	already at risk.  Imagine the trauma for a 5-year old
	asleep when the door crashes down and a dozen armed men
	charge into the child's home screaming at the child's
	parents and holding assault weapons at their heads.  When
	you next see reality-based television such as COPS or
	American Detective, try to imagine the effect on children
	of living through a raid in which mom and dad are spread
	eagle on the floor under the guns of prohibition
	enforcers.  Then multiply that by hundreds of thousands of
	children who are subjected to such police raids each year.
	Imagine the effect on your own children if it happened to
	you," said Sterling.

	The Criminal Justice Policy Foundation is a tax-exempt,
	non-profit Washington "think tank" that promotes
	innovative solutions to the problems of crime and
	violence.

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED DECEMBER 7, 1993
BY THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE POLICY FOUNDATION
1899 L Street, N.W., Suite 500 Washington, DC  20036-3804
Tel.202.835.9075
FAX 202.833.8561
email [e--r--g] at [igc.apc.org]