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| Drug Laws Need Shift, Experts Say |
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Posted by FoM on April 11, 2002 at 07:41:05 PT By Pam Easton Source: Austin American-Statesman 
America's war on drugs should focus more on people's actions and less on what substances they use, officials attending a drug policy conference at Rice University said Wednesday. The two-day event at the Baker Institute for Public Policy in Houston concludes today. Attendees will discuss policies in other countries with hopes of eventually making recommendations for policy changes in the United States to "reduce negative consequences of drug use and abuse, including attention to more effective drug education and treatment." "It seems to me that the current (U.S.) drug policy has created strains on both the law and democracy," Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle told those who gathered at the institute, some from as far away as Switzerland, Australia and Colombia. Earle said the nation must develop a policy that results in no more harm than the use of drugs already causes, addresses the underlying reasons for drug abuse, preserves the public safety without violating people's civil liberties and doesn't overtax public resources such as jails and law enforcement agencies. "There are so many harms that we are unnecessarily inflicting on ourselves because of drug prohibition," said James Gray, a superior court judge from Anaheim, Calif., and a former prosecutor who once held a record for the largest number of drug convictions. "There's got to be something wrong here," he said. "It's easier for our children to get illegal drugs than it is a six-pack of beer." Gray suggested that laws be restructured and more programs developed, such as drug courts, to help people overcome dependency. He said the possession or ingestion of drugs should not be a crime. "Where government goes astray is where government tries to protect us from ourselves," he said. Source: Austin American-Statesman (TX) Related Article & Web Site: Judge James Gray Baker Institute for Public Policy DEA Chief, Activists Clash Over Drug Policy War on Drugs is a Lost Battle, Judges Say The Anguish of The Drug War Judges Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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| Comment #1 posted by aocp on April 11, 2002 at 09:02:14 PT |
| America's war on drugs should focus more on people's actions and less on what substances they use. Seeing as how it's the actions themselves that cause the harm, i'd say that's dead on. A drunk driver is only a drunk until they decide to turn on the ignition and drive away. Spot the difference. [ Post Comment ] |
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