Athletes and Drug Use
Drug czar Barry McCaffrey misses a key point when he rails against athletes’ use of “nonperformance enhancing” drugs such as marijuana (Commentary, Sept. 4). But for a drug test, the world’s children would never have learned of the personal habits of Olympic gold medalist Ross Rebagliati. His performance clearly showed that it had no impact on his ability to compete. And as for professional basketball, if team owners were convinced that occasional personal use of marijuana impaired performance, they would certainly need no urging from a government bureaucrat to push for testing. Since it is obvious, however, that they are not so inclined, who exactly will benefit from “outing” the apparently large number of pot-smoking athletes to their young fans?
No one wants kids smoking pot. But the drug warriors have to live with the consequences of their beloved prohibition. One of these is that as greater numbers of people, and especially prominent people like athletes, are drug tested, it will become only more apparent that many of them lead quite successful, even extraordinary, lives despite occasional marijuana use. By prohibiting marijuana, we ensure that our kids have easy access to the stuff through an uncontrollable black market.
ADAM J. SMITH, Assoc. Dir.
Drug Reform Coordination
Network, Washington
* McCaffrey provides an excellent example in the death of Len Bias. The resultant drop in cocaine usage illustrates that freedom of choice is far more effective than any hysterical war on drugs.
Bias may have been foolish to take drugs in his own pursuit of happiness, but nonetheless undertook the risk of his own free will. No one in a free society had the right to stop him as long as he did not physically harm another.
When a prominent athlete is arrested or suspended by his team for drug use, those who are most at risk for drug abuse will view him as a victim or martyr. If instead, he continues to play and becomes a washed-up loser, he sets a negative example that demonstrates the debilitating effects of some drugs. This will keep more people off drugs than draconian laws or propaganda.
RAYMOND F. IRVINE
Camarillo
* With all due respect to McCaffrey and his attempts to eradicate illegal drug use in this country, I cannot agree with his assessment that professional sports must take the lead in fighting this war. Too bad our youth cannot look to the president for such guidance.
Rather than demand it of our elected officials, McCaffrey seeks to impute this responsibility to professional athletes. What a bunch of baloney!
The war on drugs must be fought from the top on down. I can hardly wait until the next presidential election in 2000.
KEVIN LEE SMITH
San Pedro
