Pubdate: Wed, 30 Aug 2006 Source: Ruidoso News (NM) Copyright: 2006 Ruidoso News. Contact: http://www.ruidosonews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3000 Author: Jack A. Cole Cited: Law Enforcement Against Prohibition http://leap/cc Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v06/n1134/a06.html MANY IN POLICE WORK VIEW WAR ON DRUGS AS COUNTERPRODUCTIVE To the editor: Re: the letter headlined "Col-umn On Meth Was Outstanding" (Aug. 27): The burgeoning methamphetamine problem is a fact. However, based on the experience of the many police officers and other criminal justice professionals who make up our membership, the never-ending job of police busting illegal meth dealers and users does little to impact the illegal drug trade. Letter writer Kirk Muse aptly notes that while prohibition may keep cops busy, it's a nonproductive policy. Regardless of how many arrests police make or how many illegal meth labs they shut down, no one in New Mexico or anywhere else who wants meth will have much trouble scoring. The inflated profits ensured by drug prohibition laws guarantee that supply will always meet demand and that supply will always outmaneuver any police efforts to curtail it. Allowing legal, regulated access to strong stimulants will reduce the demand for street manufactured and dangerous methamphetamine. And funds currently used to shove drug abusers into the criminal justice system can be used for increased accurate education and drug treatment on demand for those with true abuse problems. This will further reduce demand for risky drugs of all kinds. And one needn't worry about police being ousted into "car wash jobs." Rather they will remain on the job, but more able to focus on crimes such as drunk driving, domestic violence, sex crimes and corporate fraud - to name but a few which are less obstructed when massive police resources are burned waging the never-ending and futile drug war. JACK A. COLE Executive Director Law Enforcement Against Prohibition Medford, Mass. - --- MAP posted-by: Steve Heath