Pubdate: Sat, 16 Mar 2002
Source: Daily Advertiser, The (LA)
Website: http://www.theadvertiser.com/
Contact:  2002 South Louisiana Publishing
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1670
Author: Kirk Muse

HAVE WE LEARNED ANY LESSONS ABOUT DRUGS?

Thank you for publishing Alan Randell's outstanding letter, "Why do 
governments prohibit some drugs" on March 2. I would like to add that 
almost all so-called "drug related" crime is actually drug prohibition 
caused crime.

Nobody was robbing, stealing or committing acts of prostitution to obtain 
money to purchase drugs when Coca-Cola contained cocaine instead of 
caffeine and when pure pharmaceutical grade Bayer heroin was legally 
available at local pharmacies for about the same price as Bayer aspirin.

When alcohol prohibition ended in 1933, the U.S. murder rate declined for 
10 consecutive years. Have we learned any lessons?

Not yet!

Kirk Muse,
Mesa, Ariz.
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MAP posted-by: Alex