Editorial
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Editor’s
      Note:
      This
      commentary
      appeared
      in
      the
     
     
      University
      of
      Winnipeg’s
      student
      paper
      ‘The
      Uniter’.
     
     
      Although
      the
      opinions
      expressed
      may
      not
      necessarily
     
     
      reflect
      those
      of
      this
      publication,
      I
      thought
      it
      might
      be
     
     
      of
      interest
      to
      UPEI
      readers.
      Comments?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Say
      No
      to
      Drug
      Hysteria
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      so-called
      "War
      on
      Drugs"
      is,
      and
      has
      always
     
     
      been
      an
      annoying
      media
      campaign.
      Ever
      since
      Ron
     
     
      Reagan
      began
      blaming
      tolerant
      attitudes
      towards
     
     
      illicit
      substance
      abuse
      for
      North
      America’s
     
    

    
     
      social
      ills,
      intelligent
      people
      all
      over
      the
      continent
     
     
      have
      been
      groaning
      in
      disbelief.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      It
      is
      difficult
      to
      ascertain
      what
      our
      government
      has
     
     
      to
      gain
      by
      attempting
      to
      legislate
      morality
      but
      in
      an
     
     
      effort
      to
      convince
      us
      that
      substance
      use
      is
      immoral,
     
     
      our
      political
      leaders
      have
      asked
      us
      to
      accept
      several
     
     
      dubious
      posits.
      Firstly,
      the
      now-universal
      phrase,
     
     
      "Say
      No
      to
      Drugs"
      implies
      that
      all
      drug
      use
      is
     
    

    
     
      equally
      harmful,
      and
      that
      the
      use
      of
      any
      drug
      is
      a
     
     
      physiologically
      dangerous
      criminal
      activity.
      Nancy
     
     
      Reagan
      would
      have
      us
      believe
      that
      there
      is
      not
     
     
      difference
      between
      the
      occasional
      cannabis
      user
      and
     
     
      an
      intravenous
      heroin
      addict.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      suggestion
      that
      the
      casual
      marijuana
      smoker
      is
     
     
      criminally
      deviant
      and
      a
      threat
      to
      our
      society
      is
     
     
      laughable,
      and
      yet
      there
      exists
      an
      even
      more
     
     
      entrenched
      anti-drug
      myth.
      The
      "War
      on
      Drugs"
     
     
      philosophy
      speaks
      very
      infrequently
      to
      the
      issue
      of
     
     
      alcohol
      abuse.
      The
      careful
      distinction
      made
     
     
      between
      "alcohol"
      and
      "drugs"
      is
      the
      most
     
     
      irresponsible
      distortion
      ever
      put
      forward
      by
      the
     
     
      reigning
      anti-drug
      forces.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Approximately
      eighty
      percent
      of
      Canadians
      use
     
     
      alcohol.
      Alcohol
      abuse
      may
      easily
      be
      considered
     
     
      one
      of
      the
      country’s
      most
      damaging
      social
      problems,
     
     
      with
      alcohol
      use
      figuring
      very
      prominently
      in
     
    

    
     
      Statistics
      concerning
      vehicular
      deaths,
      violent
      crime
     
    
   
   
    
     
      and
      a
      wide
      variety
      of
      physical
      and
      mental
      health
     
     
      problems.
      The
      hypocrisy
      is
      staggering.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Because
      we
      live
      in
      a
      country
      where
      powerful
     
     
      breweries
      and
      distilleries
      can
      influence
      government
     
     
      policy,
      alcohol
      is
      neatly
      excluded
      from
      the
      Drug
     
     
      War.
      We,
      as
      Canadians,
      are
      not
      encouraged
      to
     
     
      abstain
      from
      using
      drugs.
      Rather,
      we
      are
     
     
      encouraged
      to
      buy
      our
      drugs
      from
      conveniently
     
     
      taxable,
      government-approved
      sources.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Until
      now,
      Canadian
      universities
      have
      had
      a
      long
     
     
      and
      proud
      history
      of
      resisting
      mindless,
      blanket
     
     
      anti-drug
      propaganda.
      Members
      of
      York
     
     
      University’s
      faculty
      of
      law,
      for
      instance,
      played
      an
     
     
      admirable
      role
      in
      producing
      the
      Canadian
     
     
      government’s
      1973
      Commission
      of
      Inquiry
      into
      the
     
     
      Non-Medical
      Use
      of
      Drug.
      This
      enlightened
      report,
     
     
      suggested,
      among
      other
      things,
      that
      cannabis
     
     
      products
      ought
      to
      be
      much
      less
      regulated
      than
     
     
      opiate
      drugs.
      Unfortunately,
      this
      open-minded
     
     
      atmosphere
      seems
      increasingly
      absent.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      U
      of
      W
      is
      a
      liberal
      arts
      institution.
      As
     
     
      students
      in
      such
      an
      environment,
      we
      expect
      to
      enjoy
     
     
      some
      degree
      of
      intellectual
      freedom.
      The
      posters
     
     
      displayed
      in
      our
      university
      that
      read
      "Drugs:
     
     
      Dumb"
      are
      a
      symbolic
      affront
      to
      our
      individual
     
     
      freedoms,
      as
      well
      as
      an
      insult
      to
      our
      collective
     
     
      intelligence.
      It
      is
      sad
      to
      see
      such
      mindless
      hysteria
     
     
      in
      a
      place
      of
      higher
      learning.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Although
      a
      resurgence
      of
      tolerant
      attitudes
      towards
     
     
      marijuana
      use,
      in
      particular,
      is
      not
      likely
      in
      the
     
     
      future,
      it
      is
      important
      that
      students
      at
      least
      question
     
     
      the
      sagacity
      of
      this
      country’s
      drug
      laws.
      It
      is
      not
      my
     
     
      intention,
      in
      this
      article,
      to
      encourage
      drug
      use.
      I
     
     
      do
      encourage,
      however,
      a
      reexamination
      of
      the
     
     
      Canadian
      government’s
      perception
      of
      reality
      and
      the
     
     
      blind
      obedience
      with
      which
      many
      seem
      to
      follow
      it.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Bartley
      Kives
     
     
      Source
      -
      Uniter
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      UPEI
      X-Press
     
    
   
   
    
     
      November
      Ist,
      1990
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Page
      3