Letter to the Editor
Washington Post
Letter to the EditorPublished in The Washington Post
February 13, 2003
Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. was asked recently if he had ever known anyone with a serious gambling problem ["Private Pain, Personal Experience Fuel 2 Slots Foes," front page, Feb. 9]. "I know people who have gotten into trouble with alcohol, and chocolate and gambling," he said. "There's a small percentage of society who cannot handle freedom."
Added Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele, "It's a behavioral issue. Just like smoking. You wanna stop — you stop."
Fifteen years ago, the U.S. surgeon general reported that "nicotine is a drug that causes addiction." An estimated 35 million Americans have tried and failed to quit smoking at least once. So it isn't as simple as "you wanna stop — you stop."
And no one seriously believes that chocolate is as dangerous to a community as alcohol or gambling.
Research has shown that chocolate is a cultural phenomenon. Drug, alcohol, tobacco and gambling addictions are biological or genetic in origin.
Whatever the merits of slot machines in Maryland, the governor ought to realize that the downside is a lot more destructive than popping bonbons, and policymakers ought to rely on scientific evidence to inform their judgments.
Jessie C. Gruman
President, Center for the Advancement of Health
Washington, D.C.
