Pubdate: Wed, 23 Jul 2003 Source: Smithers Interior News (CN BC) Copyright: 2003, BC Newspaper Group Contact: http://www.interior-news.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1631 Author: Kirk Muse DRUGS DON'T FUEL CRIME The Editor, I'm writing about the story Drugs fuel rash of break-ins: RCMP, published June 25. Drugs fuel zero crime. Drug prohibition is what fuels crime. When all types of recreational drugs were legally available for pennies per dose at local pharmacies, the term "drug-related crime" didn't exist. Neither did drug lords or drug cartels. These were all created by drug prohibition - not drugs. When Coca-Cola contained cocaine instead of caffeine and sold for 5 cents a bottle, drug users and drug addicts didn't have to rob, steal or commit acts of prostitution to obtain money to purchase their drugs of choice. The Canadian crime rate is a small fraction of the U. S. crime rate. That will soon change if Canada adopts the U.S. drug policy. My advice to Canada and the rest of the world is to carefully observe U. S. drug policy, and then do the opposite. Don't follow us - we're lost. Kirk Muse Mesa, AZ - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens