From: [a--ur--n] at [cup.portal.com] (A T Furman)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.drugs
Subject: Clue attack!  SJ Merc endorses drug commission
Date: Mon, 13 Dec 93 01:38:12 PST

From the San Jose Mercury News, Friday, December 10:

	
		What's wrong with debate?

	Joycelyn Elders merely said, *Study* drug legalization


If the streets are unsafe, the prisons are full, and hard-core
drug abuse is worse than ever, why not look at alternatives to a
failed policy?

"Many times they're robbing, stealing and all of these things to get
money to buy drugs," Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders said at the
National Press Club on Tuesday.

Nothing controversial there.

"I feel that we would markedly reduce our crime rate if drugs were
legalized."

You don't see liquor dealers shooting each other on street corners--
not since Prohibition was repealed.  Nor do alcoholics commit many
crimes to get the money to buy booze.

"But I don't know all of the ramifications of this."

That's the problem.  Legalization might make it easier for users to
seek treatment--or give them less motivation to stop using.  There's
a substantial risk that legalization would increase drug use, by
lowering the price and boosting availability.

"I do feel that we need to do some studies."

That's what Elders said.  Not that legalization is the answer, but that
it's worth looking for answers.

The president promptly rejected that view, while standing by his
surgeon general.  Republicans called for her firing.  Bush's drug
czar, Bill Bennett, called Elders "just plain nutty."

However, a growing number of mayors, judges, physicians, and other
drug war veterans, including former San Jose Police Chief Joe
McNamara, believe drug abuse should be treated as a medical and
social problem.  The National Coalition for Drug Policy Change is
pushing a resolution calling for a federal commission "to recommend
the revision of drug laws...in order to reduce the harm our current
policies are causing."  Rep. Don Edwards (D., Calif.) has introduced
a bill [HR 3100] to create a commission.

Several European countries and cities are experimenting with a variety
of "harm reduction" strategies that, in some cases, include de facto
legalization of drug use.

Frankfurt has seen a dramatic drop in street crime.  Amsterdam has
one-seventh the number of drug addicts as Baltimore, which is the
same size.

What's nutty is to shut off debate on drug policy.

		*		*		*

And now for my meta-editorial:

So the prohibitioNazis are trying to "shut off debate on drug policy,"
are they?  There is only one thing that it could possibly mean:

	WE PRACTICALLY HAVE THEM ON THE ROPES!

Now is the time to give the commission of inquiry the full-court press.
Support HR 3100 (which will implement the resolution of the Coalition
for Drug Policy Change).  Read the recent postings in this newsgroup
to find out how.



Legalize freedom...vote Libertarian.