Reading readers' comments, it's occurred to me that it doesn't really matter what I say about drugs and alcohol -- people just maintain their basic views no matter what. So how about if you just write my column? Just answer the question, Could the SDSU drug bust (in which a five-month sting led to the arrest of 75 students) been handled better?

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The Stanton Peele Addiction Website, May 7, 2008. This blog post also appeared on Stanton's Addiction in Society blog at PsychologyToday.com.

Go Ahead -- Write My Blog!

Reading readers' comments, it's occurred to me that it doesn't really matter what I say about drugs and alcohol -- people just maintain their basic biases no matter what.

Thus, readers should have their own clear reactions to a sting perpetrated at San Diego State University by the DEA with the cooperation of SDSU officials. The DEA and University justified the five-month operation and the life implications for the 75 students arrested on various charges (e.g., losing all chance at federal loans) because of two earlier drug-use deaths on campus.

So, PT readers, please answer the following quiz:

1. Will the raid and arrests reduce drug use on SDSU campus? If so, for how long?
2. Will the raid reduce negative drug use consequences? That is, because of the sting and arrests, will fewer students use drugs in dangerous ways? Why or why not?
3. If your answers to (1) and (2) are "no" (or "yes, but not long" for 1), WHY did the DEA and University conduct the operation?
4. If you answer "no" to (2), what could the university have actually done to reduce negative drug and alcohol consequences?
5. If a Democrat is elected president, will such drug raids and similar activities become more or less frequent, or remain the same?

All right, go ahead and write my blog. Answers will be summarized in a few days.