Pubdate: Mon, 21 Jun 2004 Source: Rock River Times (IL) Copyright: The Rock River Times 2004 Contact: http://www.rockrivertimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/539 Author: Kirk Muse Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v04/n581/a10.html DRUG PROHIBITION CAUSES CRIME I'm writing about "Drug epidemic plagues area" (April 14-20 TRRT). I'd like to add that almost all the problems we have with illegal drugs are because the drugs are illegal. Because certain (politically selected) drugs are illegal, they are of unknown quality, unknown purity and unknown potency. This is the cause of most of the deaths from illegal drugs. Because certain drugs are illegal, they are unregulated, untaxed and controlled by criminal gangs. Just like alcohol was when it was illegal. Many prison wardens and judges have said that 70 to 90 percent of all violent crime and property crime is "drug-related." Actually, almost 100 percent of our so-called "drug-related crime" is caused by our drug prohibition policies-not drugs. When all types of recreational drugs were legally sold in local pharmacies for pennies per dose, the term "drug-related crime" didn't exist. Neither did drug lords, drug cartels or even drug dealers as we know them today. Drugs don't cause crime; drug prohibition causes crime. Kirk Muse Mesa, Ariz. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin