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Narcotics Legislation

1965 General Resolution

WHEREAS, federal, state and city narcotics laws declare the habitual use of narcotics to be a crime, while narcotics addiction is considered by the medical profession to be an illness and by many psychiatrists and social scientists to be a personality disorder rooted in psycho-social factors; and

WHEREAS, narcotics addicts are forced by such laws to the illegal procurement of narcotics at exorbitant prices to ease their suffering, which leads to crime to make such procurement possible, and encourages and supports the illegal traffic in narcotics; and

WHEREAS, the flourishing illegal traffic in narcotics depends on, and actively works to develop, new addicts to maintain and expand the market;

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED: That the Unitarian Universalist Association urges changes in existing narcotics laws in order to provide for:

The establishment of intake-referral centers to which all addicts apprehended by law-enforcement agencies would be taken in order that they be placed in rehabilitation centers;
A choice between imprisonment or a rehabilitation center for the addicted "pusher," the "pusher" to be on probation if he chooses rehabilitation;
A severe sentence to imprisonment for non-addict "pushers" and accomplices.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That the Association be directed and its members urged to take action to support this resolution whenever possible and that there be further study by the Association on this subject.

Last updated on Friday, April 18, 2008.