Pubdate: Mon, 06 Feb 2006
Source: Ottawa Citizen (CN ON)
Copyright: 2006 The Ottawa Citizen
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/ottawa/ottawacitizen/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/326
Author: Katharine R. Elliott
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)

TREAT TOBACCO THE SAME AS OTHER CASUAL DRUGS

Re: Ontario's tobacco-tax increase simply bolsters the black market, Feb. 3.

Letter-writer Arnold Kimmel is probably right that an increased 
Ontario tobacco tax will only encourage a black market for tobacco 
products. However, if this is true, he may admit that this is also 
true for the sale of illegal drugs sold for recreation or 
mind-changing purposes, just like tobacco.

If illegal drugs were made legal and controlled by government, and if 
they were not taxed too heavily, then a black market in these drugs 
would collapse or be very diminished. This would be beneficial ,in 
that crime rates related to these illegal activities would fall and 
that the health issues around these drugs could be more openly 
addressed and solved.

Tobacco is also a drug, one that causes serious health problems, and 
a too-high tax rate could lead to crime. If Mr. Kimmel is concerned 
about crime activity developing around tobacco, shouldn't he also be 
advocating that other currently illicit drugs be made legal, and 
managed and taxed at a reasonable rate through government? Maybe Mr. 
Kimmel's real concern, as the CEO of Quickie Convenience Stores, is 
more related to profits, or losses.

I realize this is a very thorny topic and I do not even know if I 
wish to see illegal drugs legalized. Instead, maybe tobacco should be 
made an illegal drug, too.

I do feel there should be some consistency in the arguments made over 
all mind-changing and health-harming drugs, including tobacco.

Katharine R. Elliott,

Ottawa
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman