Pubdate: Wed, 08 Aug 2007
Source: Honolulu Star-Bulletin (HI)
Copyright: 2007 Honolulu Star-Bulletin
Contact:  http://www.starbulletin.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/196
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07/n930/a03.html
Author: Kirk Muse

DON'T FIGHT DRUGS -- REGULATE THEM

I'm writing about Rich Figel's outstanding column "The verdict is in: 
Drug policy needs overhaul" ("Addicted to Life," Star-Bulletin, Aug. 5).

If we re-legalized all our illegal drugs so that they could be sold 
by licensed and regulated businesses for pennies per dose, would this 
eliminate our drug problems? No. However, doing so would 
substantially reduce the crime rate and dramatically increase public safety.

Will we ever be able to eliminate our drug problems? No. However, we 
can substantially reduce the harm caused by our illegal drugs.

Regulated and controlled drugs would be of known purity, known 
potency and known quality -- which would make them very much safer 
than today's black-market drugs.

But what message would we send to children if we legalized all 
illegal drugs so they could be sold in licensed, regulated and taxed 
business establishments?

The same message we send to children today when we allow products 
such as alcohol and tobacco to be sold in licensed, regulated and 
taxed business establishments.

A free country's government cannot protect its adult citizens from 
themselves. A free country's government has no right to attempt to do so.

Kirk Muse

Frequent Hawaii visitor Mesa, Ariz.
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