cannabisnews.com: U.S. Continues Down Wrong Path Regarding Drug Use





U.S. Continues Down Wrong Path Regarding Drug Use
Posted by FoM on January 07, 2002 at 09:51:12 PT
By Clark Brittain M.D.
Source: Herald-Times
You might be interested to know: the United States has 5 percent of the world's population — but 25 percent of the world's prison population. Today, one in 32 adults in America are in correctional supervision — 3.1 percent of the adult population. In 1985, 16.3 percent of the total prison population was drug related. Today, with a serious "drug war" effort/expense, we now have a prison population that is 56 percent drug related. 
In spite of more than 700,000 drug-related Americans in jail, and more than 1.6 million marijuana arrests in 2001, the drugs are flowing as freely as ever.Our youth can more easily purchase "illicit" drugs than legal, but regulated, tobacco and alcohol. Our prisons teem with drugs. Our total prisoner incidence is 699 per 100,000 population. In China it is 103 per 100,000, in Europe on average it is less than 100. We have more prisoners in jails for drug-related crime than all Europe for all crimes combined, and they have 100 million more citizens.George W. Bush's compassionate conservatism created a 5.0 percent correctional supervision rate in Texas (one in 20 adults). In Bob Barr's Georgia, 6.8 percent of adults are in correctional supervision. These numbers reflect a significant disproportion of people of color and poverty feeling the brunt of the law. The difference in Europe is a different approach to drug use. Europeans feel that police, courts, prisons and social services are very expensive. Arresting and jailing people who use drugs to feel better, is just too expensive.Let's look at Holland, where cannabis cafes sell small amounts of marijuana in a regulated market. The Dutch recognize that some people will use drugs in spite of serious penalties, and believe in promoting responsible drug use, just as we currently promote responsible alcohol consumption. When softer drugs such as marijuana are readily available to people who want to "feel better," they are in fact less likely to resort to harder drugs.For example: tobacco use in Holland compared to the United States is 34.3 percent versus 29.6 percent for the past month respectively. Cannabis use, in Holland versus USA: 2.5 percent versus 5.1 percent for the past month. Cocaine use, Holland versus USA: 0.2 percent versus 0.7 percent for the past month. Heroin use, Holland versus USA: 0.1 percent versus 0.3 percent. Inhalant use in Holland versus USA: 0.1 percent versus 1.1 percent for the past year.Alcohol use is actually higher in Holland than in the U.S., 73.3 percent versus 51.4 percent for the past month. Murder rates in Holland compared to the U.S., 1.8 versus 8.22 per 100,000 population. Heroin addicts in Holland compared to the U.S., 1.8 versus 8.22 per 100,000 population. Correctional supervision rates have increased dramatically in Holland in the last 15 years, from 35 to 65 per 100,000. In the U.S., our correctional supervision rate in 1985 was 313 per 100,000. The Dutch experience clearly shows that marijuana is not a gateway drug, can be used responsibly, and actually results in decreased use of harder drugs, even among youth. The average sentence for first-time federal drug offenders compared to other offenses is quite illuminating: drugs, 78 months; firearms 69 months; sexual abuse 68 months; assault 28 months; manslaughter 30 months; burglary, breaking and entering 24 months; auto theft 20 months.The percentage of people addicted to cocaine, heroin and opium in the U.S. in 1903 was 0.28 percent. Today, in spite of all the incarceration, interdiction, eradication and $40 billion in expense per year, the addiction rate to the same drugs is 0.98 percent. This increase does not include drugs that were not available in 1903 but today are commonly used legally by addicts, such as valium, codeine, hydrocodone and others. Drug use has been with us for a very long time. In spite of severe penalties, use continues, and even increases These numbers are available online at: http://corporatism.tripod.com/charts2.htmProfessor Craig Reinarman of Holland has written a book called Crack in America: Demon Drugs and Social Justice that also outlines most of these facts. He further states that the Dutch and many other civilized countries feel the U.S. proselytizes an expensive failure of drug policy imperialism all over the world, and they are resentful. I wrote to all our state legislators, Monroe County Court judges, local city council and mayor, asking them to save money, salvage the state budget and quit jailing pot heads. A vast majority of Americans think they should not be in jail. If our elected officials feel they need punishment, levy some type of reasonable civil fine, and have them waste their own money, not my hard-earned tax dollars on expensive courts and jails. Clark Brittain is a Bloomington doctor.Complete Title: U.S. Continues Down Wrong Path Regarding Drug Use, PreventionSource: Herald-Times, The (IN)Author: Clark Brittain Published: January 7, 2002 Copyright: 2002 The Hearld-TimesContact: letters heraldt.comWebsite: http://www.hoosiertimes.com/mv-to-top/index-ht.php3Related Articles:Group Says War on Drugs Has Failed, Filled Jailshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11695.shtml US Should Follow Europe’s Lead in Drug-Law Reform http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11676.shtml
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