Coincidentally, yesterday it was reported that a group of medical
professionals (Physician Leadership on National Drug Policy-a group
including former members of the Reagan, Bush and Clinton administrations)
released a scathing criticism of the "Drug War", concluding that illicit
substance abuse should be treated as a health problem rather than a moral
one. And while this same group recognized that their statement is in
contrast to current public opinion on the subject, they are careful to point
out that "the public has been misled by media accounts" and that "the
government should not be influenced by a misled public" and should instead
develop policy based on science rather than public opinion.
Anyone interested in the topic may want to attend a presentation at 7pm at
the University Inn this evening. Assistant U.S. Attorney Monte Stiles, a
former head of a federal drug task force, will be talking about "Our Kids at
Risk - "Enough is Enough" - "What YOU Can Do" (with regard to illegal
drugs). I've been told that his multi-media presentation coincides with the
Quad Cities Drug Task Forces "Top Gun" drug investigation and prosecution
training going on this week at the U. Inn.
I guess now I'm also taking a chance. But as someone who knows first-hand
about substance abuse, having lost a younger brother, at age 36, to the
devastating ravages of drug addiction, I'm simply not willing to sit on the
sidelines and pretend that something doesn't need to be done.
By the way, the drug my brother was addicted to, that slowly over the course
of almost 20 years destroyed his mind, literally rotted away his body and
tore a family apart just happened to be a legal drug - alcohol.
Greg Meyer