Fagone does not advocate drug use, he simply urges readers to consider the complicated issues that surround the subject and question conventional wisdom. Hettes' reference to sex is immature at least, and in my opinion dangerous. It's ironic that he thoughtlessly jokes about sex, while thousands of Americans die from AIDS and STDs every year, yet demonizes drug use. True, many illegal drugs are harmful, addictive and even fatal, but so are legal drugs. As Fagone points out, even the food you eat is highly psychoactive and a poor diet can destroy your health.
Many illegal drugs are far less harmful than alcohol and tobacco.
To broadly classify all illegal drugs and their users as destructive to society is a misconstrued opinion that I would only expect from people who are completely uneducated about the issue. Social indoctrination tells us that relying on caffeine to wake up and consequently destroying our hearts is acceptable, while smoking a benign dried leaf to relax is evil. We must carefully evaluate the benefits and risks of legal drugs and eliminate the unfair stigma attached to illegal drugs that are outlawed for political, religious and otherwise subjective reasons. I would encourage readers to educate themselves regarding the facts on drugs and their effects. I would encourage Hettes to do some serious thinking about why he is so threatened by honest discussion about drugs and to restrain himself next time before writing a juvenile and frivolous response to a well-written column.