Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!prls!pyramid!decwrl!amdcad!csanders From: csanders@amdcad.UUCP (Craig S. Anderson) Newsgroups: talk.politics.misc,net.med Subject: Re: Drug Abuse - True Problem or Media Hype? Message-ID: <13081@amdcad.UUCP> Date: Fri, 19-Sep-86 21:10:36 EDT Article-I.D.: amdcad.13081 Posted: Fri Sep 19 21:10:36 1986 Date-Received: Tue, 23-Sep-86 01:16:17 EDT References: <720@scc.UUCP> <981@whuts.UUCP> <20811@rochester.ARPA> Reply-To: csanders@amdcad.UUCP (Craig S. Anderson) Organization: AMD, Sunnyvale, California Lines: 42 Xref: linus talk.politics.misc:226 net.med:4623 In article <20811@rochester.ARPA> ray@rochester.ARPA (Ray Frank) writes: >In article <981@whuts.UUCP>, orb@whuts.UUCP (SEVENER) writes: >> "The Drug Crackdown is the McCarthyism of the 80's"!! >> >> I suggest people do all in their power, write letters to the editor, >> write their Congresspeople, and whatever possible to stop this new >> facism before it gets started. >> tim sevener whuxn!orb > >Yes, I'll write letters, but not the kind you want. My letters will be to >opose drug abuse and fight the legalization of their use. The drug crack- >down is long overdue. I'm all for using the military in this war on drugs. >What better use of our soldiers than to protect the welfare of our young >people here at home. Doesn't the military have enough to do already? Wouldn't it be better to spend some money on the DEA or the Coast Guard? After all, those two organizations are responsible for keeping imported drugs out of the U.S. It seems like the public wants a 'quick fix' to a problem that doesn't have any easy answers. The only way to really fight drug abuse is to persuade (there's an ambiguous word!) people not to demand drugs. You do this through education, social pressure, and information about the harmful effects of drugs. The proportion of Americans who smoke is down significantly from 20 years ago because smokers know that it damages their health, and a great many non-smokers won't tolerate smoking in the workplace or in public places like restaurants. The government arrests all of the smugglers and dealers it can find, but it doesn't make much difference since there are always scummy people waiting to make money on drugs. Get rid of the demand, and there won't be a drug problem. I realize that this is a difficult task, but people's attitudes can change. Just look how much the attitude towards racial discrimination has changed in the past 100 years or so. > >ray -- Craig Anderson Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (408) 749-3007 UUCP: {ucbvax,decwrl,ihnp4,allegra,intelca}!amdcad!csanders #include