Pubdate: Thu, 03 May 2001 Source: Tulsa World (OK) Copyright: 2001 World Publishing Co. Contact: http://www.tulsaworld.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/463 Author: Nathan Jaco TOTALLY UNSUCCESSFUL `WAR' I was very pleased to read your April 26 editorial, "Questions," which asked "What happened in Peru?" Since 1994 the U.S. government has been spending billions of dollars each year in an endeavor to curtail the productions of plants such as those which are used to produce cocaine. We have used the facilities of our Air Force and Navy to try to interdict the transportation of these drugs to the United States to reduce the use of drugs. All of this has been unsuccessful. We have more drugs coming into the country now than ever before, an adequate supply to take care of the demand. We need a solution. The government ought to legalize the use of most of these drugs. It would immediately reduce their price to a very low value. This would tremendously inhibit the production of drugs or plants all over South America. These farmers can then produce corn, cotton or other products more suitable for themselves or people in general. But what about those who have a drug habit? We should then spend the money that we have been spending on the "drug war" to publicize the bad effects of drugs and provide facilities to help the addicts kick the habit. Nathan Janco, Tulsa - --- MAP posted-by: Josh Sutcliffe