THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, December 16, 1994 TAG: 9412150015
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A22 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Medium: 64 lines
Dec. 10 was a landmark day in the history of American public health. On that day, President Clinton fired Dr. Joycelyn Elders, the often controversial surgeon general, after he learned about her suggestion that masturbation should be taught in the public schools.
Unlike her 15 predecessors, Dr. Elders was the first surgeon general to be terminated before completing a full term in office. Her resignation and her replacement hopefully represent a new direction in public-health policy.
During her tenure, Dr. Elders did more harm than good in the public-health realm. She not only discouraged healthy discourse because of her inflammatory, bigoted statements, but also frequently advanced health-policy initiatives that were politically correct but not scientifically supported.
In the area of comprehensive sex education, for example, she preached adolescent sexual autonomy despite the reality that many teenagers are emotionally, mentally and relationally unprepared for such decision-making.
Her approach thus entirely devalued parental involvement and traditional moral standards, both of which have proved themselves in the history of our civilization.
Instead of teaching kids to say no to premarital sex, she touted the condom as the all-weather, all-purpose contraceptive, arguing that condom use was, in and of itself, a ``responsible decision.''
Reality, however, paints a different picture. One in five couples relying on condoms becomes pregnant in a year. Because of this failure rate, teenagers are encouraged to use other means of contraception.
While hormonal methods provide better birth control, they do not offer any protection against AIDS and the other 21-plus venereal diseases, all of which are epidemic in America and increasing fastest among teenagers.
In the arena of illicit drugs, Dr. Elders pushed for their legalization as a means for reducing the crime rate. Even when her own son was arrested, convicted and sentenced for drug use, she did not waver on this issue. America's health statistics, however, call into question the validity of her position.
In 1990, 20,000 Americans perished from illicit-drug use; 100,000 died from alcohol consumption; and more than 400,000 lives ended because of tobacco abuse.
More than a half-million needless deaths result annually from the two legalized drugs in America, alcohol and nicotine. It would seem that universal access lends itself to universal abuse.
How many more lives would be ruined or lost if cocaine, heroin and marijuana were added to the list of legal drugs? How much more expense from drug-induced complications could an already beleaguered health-care system bear?
In short, Dr. Elders unfortunately acted more like a rebel with an unsound personal agenda than a role model with a vision for improving public health in America. For these reasons, both the medical profession and the public should applaud President Clinton's decision.
THOMAS M. CHIN, M.D.
Chesapeake
SCOTT T. ARMISTEAD, M.D.
Richmond, Dec. 13, 1994
Editor's note: Drs. Chin and Armistead are physicians in full-time public-health work. by CNB