Doublespeak on the Gateway Theory

By Paul Lewin, Common Sense for Drug Policy, & TNC Regional Leader

Excerpts from the government sponsored CASA study

"In fact, the majority of gateway drug users never move on to other drugs, but they are still at risk for the negative effects of 'gateway' drug use."

"While an extremely high statistical correlation clearly exists between the use of these 'gateway' substances and other drugs, this does not necessarily prove that a causal relationship exists. What is lacking is the basic scientific and clinical research required to establish causality."

SOURCE: Implications for Future Action: Cigarettes, Alcohol, Marijuana: Gateways to Illicit Drug Use

Commentary: Thus, buried deep within their report is a complete disclaimer of the validity of their entire document. Of course, they do not acknowledge it that way. Instead they use it as a call for more funding and research, but that is another issue altogether.