[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 204 (Tuesday, December 19, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2392-E2393]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           DRUG LEGALIZATION

                                 ______


                        HON. GERALD B.H. SOLOMON

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, December 18, 1995

  Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, I would like to address an issue about a 
subject which continues to get favorable treatment from our friends in 
the media. That issue is drug legalization.
  Those who support legalization would have us believe that we ought to 
decriminalize drugs because we have lost the war on drugs. We are not 
losing this war. The truth is that during the Reagan/Bush years drug 
use dropped, from 24 million in 1979 to 11 million in 1992. 
Unfortunately, those hard fought gains have been wasted.
  Under President Clinton's watch, this trend has been reversed and 
drug use is again increasing. The only lasting legacy of the Clinton 
Presidency will be a dramatic increase in the use of illegal drugs and 
the consequences of escalating violence and misery associated with it.
  As a country, we have never really waged an all out war on drugs. It 
is now time we declared such a war and I am pleased the Speaker is 
talking about altering the rules of engagement. We should start this 
campaign by passing some of the anti-drug legislation which I have 
introduced.
  And although I have been criticized by libertarian organizations for 
my position, I still do not believe the organizations whose primary 
purpose is to promote the use of illegal drugs should operate under a 
tax free status.
  The fathers and mothers in this country who struggle to make ends 
meet and to raise their children drug free, are paying extra taxes to 
subsidize the Drug Policy Foundation and their unshaven friends at 
NORML. These groups are spending millions of dollars in an effort to 
make dangerous drugs more available to kids. This is wrong.
  Drug use is already on the rise. In fact one third of all high school 
kids are now smoking marijuana. Listen to what the Partnership for a 
Drug Free America says about teenagers' views on drugs: ``Most recent 
trends among teens indicate a reversal in the attitudes that 
distinguish non-users from users--perception of risk and social 
disapproval--and the consequences are an increase in the use of 
marijuana, LSD, and cocaine.''
  Fortunately, even this Administration is now opposed to legalizing 
drugs. In a recent speech entitled ``Why the U.S. Will Never Legalize 
Drugs'', former drug czar, Lee Brown, called drug legalization the 
moral equivalent of genocide.
  Listen carefully to his words:

       When we look at the plight of many of our youth today, 
     especially African American males, I do not think it is an 
     exaggeration to say that legalizing drugs would be the moral 
     equivalent of genocide. Legalizing addictive, mind altering 
     drugs is an invitation to disaster for communities that are 
     already under seige. Making drugs more readily available 
     would only propel more individuals into a life of crime and 
     violence. Contrary to what the legalization proponents say, 
     profit is not the only reason for the high rates of violence 
     associated with the drug trade . . . drugs are illegal 
     because they are harmful--to both body and mind. Those who 
     can least afford further hardship in their lives would be 
     much worse off if drugs were legalized.

  According to Lee Brown, legalization would create three times as many 
drug users and addicts in this country. And what does this translate 
into for future generations? It means hundreds of thousands of 
additional newborns addicted to drugs.
  According to the Partnership for a Drug Free America, one out of 
every ten babies in the U.S. is born addicted to drugs. I guess the 
advocates of legalization must not think this percentage is high 
enough!
  I challenge anyone in this chamber to go down the street and tell the 
nurses at D.C. General, who care for these children, that we need to 
legalize drugs. You will end up with a black eye! And here is another 
shocking fact * * * today in America over 11 percent of pregnant women 
use an illegal drug during pregnancy, including heroin, PCP, marijuana, 
and most commonly, crack cocaine. A sure-fire way to worsen this 
problem would be to legalize drugs. According to a recent University of 
Michigan study of 50,000 high school students, drug use is up in all 
grades. Drug use is up among all students for crack, cocaine, heroin, 
stimulants, LSD, and marijuana.
  Increased drug use also contributes to domestic violence. In fact, 
drug use is a factor in 

[[Page E2393]]
half of all family violence, most of it directed against women. And 
over 30% of all child abuse cases involve a parent using illegal drugs. 
Legalizing drugs will mean more violence against women and children.
  Today, one third of the young people attending high school in our 
country smoke marijuana. It's no wonder our education system is a mess.
  The high school dropout rate in the United States is over 25 percent, 
and 50 percent in major cities. A recent study of 11th graders showed 
that over half of the drug users dropped out--twice the rate of those 
drug-free.
  Drugs rob kids of their motivation and self-esteem, leaving them 
unable to concentrate and indifferent to learning. Millions of these 
kids end up on welfare or in prison. Drug abuse in the workplace, 
violence against women and children, welfare dependency, high dropout 
rates, escalating health care costs, crack babies * * * could it get 
any worse?
  If we legalized drugs it would get much worse! These problems are all 
interrelated and all have one thing in common. That common denominator 
is drug abuse. Legalizing drugs would be to say that all of this is 
acceptable * * * it is not acceptable.
  Legislation I have introduced will send a strong and long overdue 
message to the young people in this country--Under no circumstances is 
the United States Congress ever * * * ever going to legalize drugs.
  I have also introduced legislation aimed at reducing the demand for 
illegal drugs. Decreasing the desire for these substances is essential 
in safeguarding the most important things to all Americans: our 
children and families, our safety and our health and the economy.
  Mr. Speaker, I would also point out that police chiefs across the 
United States believe that the number one way to reduce crime is to 
reduce drug use. The fact is that mandatory minimum drug penalties put 
in place in 1988 was followed by the Nation's largest decrease in drug 
use.
  It is a myth that many non-violent first time drug offenders are 
overcrowding our prisons. A comprehensive study by the Department of 
Justice found that 93 percent of state prisoners were either violent or 
repeat offenders, two thirds are currently in prison for a violent 
crime.
  It is also a myth that drug arrests are overwhelming our prison 
systems. The fact is that drug arrests have been decreasing since 1989 
and only make up 8 percent of all arrests nationwide. Despite lengthy 
sentences, the average Federal convicted drug possessor serves only 8 
months.
  The fact is that drug sentencing is still inadequate and that the 
last thing this Congress should consider is the repeal of mandatory 
minimum sentencing. Drug use and drug addiction cause most of the 
violence in this country and contribute to virtually every social, 
health and economic problem we face. And according to the most recent 
reports, hospital emergency room visits caused by illegal drugs are up 
again.
  The fact is that the trend toward increased drug use in this country 
corresponds directly to President Clinton's term of office. For 
whatever reason, this President is either unable or unwilling to 
address this crisis. As a result, millions of young people and their 
families are suffering.
  This President has failed to come to grips with the fact that only 
one person in this country has the authority--the Office of the 
President--to reverse the worsening downward spiral of drug abuse.
  Mr. Speaker, I am honestly willing to work with President Clinton to 
address this problem. And I commend Congressman Zeliff for establishing 
this working group. He has presented the President a golden opportunity 
to work effectively with Congress in a bipartisan manner. All we are 
missing now is a serious commitment from the President.

                          ____________________