Pubdate: Tue, 06 Jan 2004 Source: Post-Standard, The (NY) Copyright: 2004, Syracuse Post-Standard Contact: http://www.syracuse.com/poststandard/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/686 Author: Larry Seguin Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v04/n015/a09.html DRUG ARRESTS MOUNT AS 'WAR' FAILS TAXPAYERS To the Editor: I'm writing about your cogitative editorial, "Where's Plan B?" (Jan. 3 Post-Standard). One has to go no further than New York to realize we must decriminalize sales. Decriminalization of possession of marijuana in New York in 1977 has been a failure. Drug arrests went from 24,400 in 1980 to 145,700 in 2000. Essentially, the recreational/personal user became the target of law enforcement. The decrease in crime figures for New York does not include the six-fold increase of drug arrests, which shows how very badly our "tough on crime" politicians have failed the taxpayer. Larry Seguin Lisbon - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake