Pubdate: Sat, 16 Mar 2002 Source: East Anglian Daily Times (UK) Contact: 2002 Eastern Counties Newspapers Group Ltd Website: http://www.eadt.co.uk/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/913 Author: Derek Williams Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02.n460.a07.html DRUG POLICY CAUSES MORE DEATHS I have never read such a lot of rubbish as "Soft line on soft drugs not ok", (EADT March 11) Bob Russell, the Lib Dem candidate you quoted said: "A teenager Is more likely to die from an ecstasy overdose than being murdered by a complete stranger" Well, he's probably right, but only because very; very few people of any age are murdered by complete strangers. Very few people die from ecstasy, although under our mindless regime of prohibition out of a million or so users, 40 odd did die last year; whereas in Holland there were none. When you're in a hole, it's time to stop digging. We've dug a huge pit with the drug war. It's killed thousands, cost us millions and given us one of the highest levels of use in Europe. Your suggestion we dig faster is just plain daft. DEREK WILLIAMS, Pembroke Road, Norwich - --- MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager