June 14, 2002

Cambridge Reporter

Letter to the Editor

The recent arrest of Cambridge high school students is one more example of how not to discourage drug use among teenagers and serves to only ruin their lives well into the future by permanently giving them the stigma of a criminal record.

Using the police as social workers is and has been a complete failure.  One only need to visit our prisons which are overcrowded with large numbers of youthful drug offenders to witness the utter failure of this approach.

Adolescent experimentation with drugs will continue despite the misguided efforts of law enforcement and only serves to further alienate youths from authorities, perhaps increasing drug use.

Only marijuana users seem to be persecuted.  Why not target alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking? Both are far more dangerous to our young people's health and well being.

Finally, why must you include the tagline: "Students are smoking high-grade marijuana that's many times stronger than the weed that used to be available."

Medical studies have yet to determine whether the "stronger" marijuana is any more dangerous than the weed that used to be available.

It is high time for communities to consider harm-reduction policies rather then criminalizing and incarcerating youthful drug offenders and ruining their lives.

Clark Sullivan

San Francisco