Addiction shouldn’t be a criminal matter

I found your editorial highlighting your coverage of drugs in the suburbs to be very self-serving. I agree that we should work to remove any type of stigma associated with addiction in order to help those struggling with it, along with their friends and family. The problem is that drugs are illegal and therefore we have made addiction a criminal justice matter and not a public health matter. Parents are to blame for this as well since we have allowed our lawmakers to repeat the ills of alcohol prohibition all over again.

Also, there was a drug problem in the suburbs prior to your coverage of it in 2001. It would be welcome reporting if the Daily Herald covered the history of our drug laws and how we have gotten to where we are now. Informing the public that most of our drug laws are rooted in racism and ideology and not science would be a good place to start. In addition, noting how countries that have removed criminal penalties for drug use and how they have lower usage rates than the U.S. would be another piece of helpful information.

Furthermore, it seems that the entire synthetic marijuana market exists only because of our prohibition on the actual plant. Our drug education and laws in this country are hypocritical: All drugs are not equally dangerous and all use is not abuse. However, trying to tell your kids that in between commercials for alcohol and erection pills can send a mixed message about our value system and how safety should be a parents’ first priority.

Most drugs are dangerous and that is why we need government to regulate them, not a blanket policy of prohibition allowing criminals to run the market.

Dan Linn

Executive director

Illinois NORML

Chicago