A few statistics may shed light on an Oct. 23 letter in The Bellingham Herald.

First statistic. There were 1.4 million arrests for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol in 2010, 18 percent for drug use. Is that a favorable statistic for drugs? Drug use in California has risen since 2010. During which deaths due to being under influence of drugs rose 63 percent.

Second statistic. Teenage use of marijuana increased in all age categories (national survey last 30 days) since 1992 - high school seniors 12 percent to 20 percent, 10th graders 8 percent to 16 percent, and 8th graders 4 percent to 6 percent. Those in this survey 86 percent had ready availability of marijuana, 55 percent of amphetamines. Other drugs 24 percent to 48 percent (cocaine to PCP). How will the proposed law influence these age groups?

Third statistic. British Medical Journal and Canadian study of 50,000 accidents concluded odds are 1.75 times higher for fatal accident with marijuana. A response to this noted comparative odds of a fatal accident higher under influence of alcohol. They failed to explain a proportion, today, of those drinking alcoholic beverages is also much higher. Tomorrow populations using alcohol and marijuana will be more similar thereby changing the odds. Marijuana has innate odds of being higher in future since tetrahydrocannibinol has a longer persistence.

Phillip Hanson

Bellingham