The almost unanimous confirmation of former Chief of Police for Seattle, Gil Kerlikowske by the Senate recently is disheartening news for the radio show.  Only one lone Senator, Tom Coburn (Oklahoma) expressed concern that we now have a drug czar that was a police chief who had a permissive attitude toward marijuana involvement.   Seattle is also well known for its “needle exchange program” – Translation:  Free needles…………Seattle hosts the largest yearly event in the country that calls itself HEMPFEST and the president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild is quoted, that “Kerlikowske can’t control two blocks of Seattle, how is he going to control the nation?” (Wall Street Journal – May 14).  Kerlikowske is also quoted that he wants to banish the idea that America is fighting a war on drugs.

However, the radio show’s rant goes further.  While Kerlikowske was police chief in Seattle, a respected report from SAMSHA listed Washington State as ranking sixth in the nation from 2005 to 2006 in the percentage of individuals ages 12 and older using prescription opioids for non-medical purposes.

An extensive report focusing on Seattle in 2006  shows the drug deaths in Seattle were rising dramatically just like in every community in this country………..Seattle, as of 2004 is a disaster concerning the growth of prescription related and drug deaths……..Deaths that included Oxycodone, Hydrocodone and methadone increased by over 4 times in a seven year period while Kerlikowske was the police chief of Seattle during four of those years……….(28 to 128)………deaths involving antidepressants almost doubled……….(45 to 82)   …Total drug deaths in Seattle from 1997 to 2004 went up 42%………..Kerlikowske was chief from 2000 so he had time to turn things around…….. 

The radio show contends that a country that does not educate and create standards within its population concerning the dangerous and addictive drugs, both legal and illegal is a nation in trouble.  Kerlikowske appears the wrong choice to stop the growing addiction, death and family turmoil that is growing from our growing acceptance of putting too many drugs in the reach of too many people.