Pubdate: Wed, 08 Jan 2003
Source: Oakville Beaver (CN ON)
Copyright: 2003, Oakville Beaver
Contact:  http://www.haltonsearch.com/hr/ob/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1600
Author: Russ Little

YOUNG'S LETTER FILLED WITH 'MISINFORMATION'

Former MPP Terry Young's most recent attack of moral outrage has reduced me 
to a state of bemused ambivalence. I refer, of course, to his Dec. 18 
Letter to the Editor on the subject of the federal government's current 
proposal to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana. A 
proposition to which Mr. Young appears adamantly and loudly opposed.

On one hand, the position which he espouses holds broad appeal for my age 
and generation. On the other hand, his ill-considered screed, filled with 
opinions-posing-as-facts, goes against every civilized, intellectual 
impulse that I value. Allow me to explain:

I am a 61 year-old, semi-retiree possessed of the very attitudes that one 
might expect of someone my age: conservative, law-and-order supporter, 
solidly anti-drug. One would expect that my 1950's-style attitudes would 
play directly into Mr. Young's thinly-veiled attempt to get back into the 
political arena. But such is definitely not the case. Here's why:

Young folks today are generally far better informed about drugs, sex and a 
host of other previously "forbidden" topics than Canadians of older 
generations. To attempt to bully or "buffalo" them with an embarrassing 
litany of false and misleading pseudo-information does infinitely more harm 
than any local pot pusher could. Mr. Young's expressed philosophy and 
proposed approach to this question makes a laughingstock out of those of us 
who are trying to generate clear, honest, open debate on these issues.

In his role as a former MPP cum opinion-maker for the Town of Oakville, Mr. 
Young has a responsibility to bring intelligent, clear-headed thought to 
this question. Unfortunately and disappointingly, his letter is riddled 
with smugly self-righteous and error-filled assertions with no accompanying 
evidence or concrete support. Specifically, he asserts that 
"marijuana....very often does (lead to other drugs)". Well wrongo, Mr. 
Young. At best, you are naively unaware of the facts. At worst, you are 
promulgating disinformation in order to support a personal prejudice.

For openers, you might avail yourself of a recent report covered by several 
Toronto newspapers that Rand Corporation (the renowned U.S. think-tank) had 
published an article in Addiction magazine. In that respected British 
medical periodical, the Rand report stated that, after an exhaustive 
research study, it was forced to conclude that "In no way can marijuana be 
considered a 'gateway' drug to harder drug-use such as heroin or cocaine."

I could go on and on, as Mr. Young's letter is packed with readily-refuted 
misinformation. But here's my point: Laudable though his intentions may be, 
by publishing this kind of misinformed rant, the net effect is to 
inadvertently undermine those of us who seek clear moral, ethical and legal 
debate on the issue.

There are undoubtedly a number of logical, truthful, effective ways to turn 
our kids off marijuana-use; but promoting misleading falsehoods is not 
among them. All that route accomplishes is the destruction of our parental 
credibility.

I would strongly suggest that Mr. Young enlighten his quest by first 
seeking input from our local police. As he will quickly learn, the 
Association of Canadian Chiefs of Police has for many years recommended the 
decriminalization of personal-use marijuana possession. Their reasons are 
many and varied.

If parents, teachers and self-styled opinion leaders take the time to 
become educated on this important and emotion-laden issue, they will no 
longer be perceived as close-minded, credulous fools by kids who see 
marijuana use on a regular basis and who are looking to the older and 
supposedly wiser generation for clear-headed, unbiased and honest information.

RUSS LITTLE

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