Pubdate: Sat, 14 Dec 2002
Source: West Australian (Australia)
Copyright: 2002 West Australian Newspapers Limited
Contact:  http://www.thewest.com.au
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/495
Author: Kirk Muse

BANS DON'T WORK

M. MARTIN (Don't go soft on cannabis, 10/12) should remember that it was 
her organisation, the Women's Christian Temperance Union, that was 
responsible for the disaster known as alcohol prohibition in the United 
States. Alcohol prohibition corrupted all levels of our government, from 
the cops on the beat to the highest levels of our administrations. People 
didn't stop buying and drinking alcohol. They just stopped buying alcohol 
from legal, regulated sources. The bootleg alcohol was of unknown quality, 
purity and potency and resulted in needless blindings and deaths.

When our alcohol prohibition ended in 1933, the US murder rate declined for 
10 consecutive years. So far, we in the US have not learnt any lessons from 
this experience. Our drug prohibition policies of today are essentially 
doing the same thing. Drug prohibition has transformed the former land of 
liberty into the most incarcerated nation in history.

My advice to Australia and the rest of the world: carefully observe US drug 
policy - then do the opposite. Don't follow us - we're lost.

KIRK MUSE

Mesa,AZ USA
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MAP posted-by: Beth