Letters to the Editor: No Retreat In Drug War
As Chairman of the Subcommittee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, I must register strong disagreement with Arnold S. Trebach, who proposed (editorial page, Aug. 2) that only by proclaiming a "drug peace" can we stop the ravages of drug abuse. It is preposterous to suggest that legalizing drugs will in any way mitigate the havoc wreaked by the crime, decreased productivity, failed education, impaired national defense, addiction and death associated with drug abuse.</br></br>Most Americans are law abiding. Laws are a society's way of codifying what the majority considers correct and incorrect behavior. Millions of us were brought up to believe that certain activities, enticing though they may seem, should not be engaged in because our society considers them unacceptable. By legalizing heroin, cocaine, methaqualone and marijuana, we would be saying that it is O.K. to severely numb the mind. I, for one, would not like to be a legislator responsible for creating the population of addicts which would result should the taint of illegality be removed and the price of drugs drop.</br></br>An example of what can be done is Turkey, once a world leader in illegal opium exportation. Turkey now grows virtually no illegal opium and its addict population has dropped. I would look also to Hong Kong, where addicts are daily deluged with entreaties from TV, radio and posters to turn themselves in, and once they do, are offered healthy doses of methadone, exercise and positive reinforcement.</br></br>Legalization is not the answer. The answer is education for our children, treatment for people who seek help, and tough law enforcement for those who would destroy our way of life through the production and trafficking of illegal drugs.</br></br>Paula Hawkins (R., Fla.)