Letter: Give up useless war on drugs

Friday, Sept. 21, 2001 | 5:17 a.m.

In this time, as America's hearts are rendered and as it mobilizes its tremendous forces against violence and terrorism worldwide, I believe it is an excellent moment to reflect upon the "other" declared war we fight with scores of billions of dollars per year.

Those of us -- your neighbors, friends, relatives and strangers alike -- who, during the quiet enjoyment of moments in our own homes, choose to use a drug, prescribed or not, whether by swallowing, sniffing, smoking, or a shot, are not violent.

Nor are we a nuisance to anyone.

Having just returned from Europe, I find it instructive to note that a majority of the original "Common Market" countries to this day have only civil penalties available to use against those who use, possess, or share drugs.

These civil penalties are used rarely and judiciously.

Each of these nations are signatories of the exact same international treaties concerning drugs that the United States signed, and are in total and complete compliance and accord with them in fact and in spirit.

These treaties are commonly, and mistakenly, used by drug warriors to justify maintaining stiff criminal penalties against the behavior I describe above.

As our America mobilizes against violence, let's let go of the idea of inflicting jail upon nonviolent drug behavior. Given the nature of our prisons -- full of rampant airborne tuberculosis, hepatitis and other communicable diseases (many not curable under the best of circumstances), meaningless disfiguring assaults, homosexual rape, severe deprivation, even death -- and the accompanying debilitating loss to families, we are forcing violence upon nonviolent people.

The message to children: Justifying war against international violence while also waging it against nonviolent citizens, is not only confusing and hypocritical, it is a huge factor in drawing their attention ("forbidden fruit") to what all the fuss is about.

JOHN POWERS