Pubdate: Tue, 11 Mar 2003
Source: Columbia Daily Tribune (MO)
Copyright: 2003 Columbia Daily Tribune
Contact:  http://www.showmenews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/91
Note: Prints the street address of LTE writers.
Author: Kirk Muse

LINK BETWEEN POVERTY AND DRUG USERS DOESN'T PERTAIN

Editor, the Tribune: I'm writing about Walter Williams' thoughtful piece 
"Bad choices yield poverty." I agree with most of what Williams wrote, 
except I disagree with his drug user/poverty connection being the fault of 
the drug user. I believe the connection is the result of our government 
policy of drug prohibition.

When all types of recreational drugs were legally sold in local pharmacies 
for pennies per dose, drug users and drug addicts were indistinguishable 
from non-drug users. Just as tobacco addicts today are indistinguishable 
from non-tobacco users except for the fact that they use tobacco.

When Coca-Cola contained cocaine instead of caffeine and sold for 5 cents a 
bottle, cocaine addicts didn't have to rob, steal or commit acts of 
prostitution to purchase their drug of choice. And the term "drug-related 
crime" didn't exist.

Kirk Muse
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MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens