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
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