Pubdate: Wed, 25 Mar 2009
Source: Kelowna Capital News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2009, West Partners Publishing Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.kelownacapnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1294
Author: A. J. Horan

UNCONTROLLED DRUG TRAFFICKING DOESN'T WORK

To the editor:

Re: Our View, March 20 Capital News: Legalizing Pot a Simplistic Response.

I had to comment on this editorial which ended with the bold
statement: "the public deserves a more intelligent response."

Much like the global warming argument where anybody who disagrees is
deemed an idiot this editorial suggests that anyone promoting
legalization of drugs is unintelligent-hardly a way to garner a
healthy debate on a very serious subject.

The reality is that most petty crime is drug related, however, I feel
that legalizing all drugs is the only option left to us as what we
have tried over the past 40 years has simply not worked. Ninety per
cent of people in U.S. jails are there for drug related offences, with
more African-American's of college age in jail than attending college.
Police themselves will readily admit that they only intercept 10 per
cent of drugs supplied.

I am in my 50s and have never used drugs, however, I could obtain
pretty much anything I wish before sundown today. All the resources we
are pouring into the system to fight the drug war could be much better
served in education and re-habilitation of drug users, turning these
people into patients not prisoners.

I am not so naive as to assume that this will solve the gang problems,
some people will still turn to this as an easy way to make money, of
that there can be no doubt. We have to look at drugs as opposed to the
gang's other form of income as it has a far greater social impact than
any of their other outlets and it is costing the taxpayer a fortune
trying to resolve that problem.

However taking away one of their main sources of income would severely
undermine them, plus we have to look at the human cost of
drugs-people's lives are being ruined and most of the measures we have
in place to deal with the drug problem are not actually helping the
victims.

Legalization may help the victims, rather than lining the pockets of
criminals; it may cut down on petty crime only committed to fund a
drug habit; it may allow the police to work on other areas of their
job and make this a safer world for all of us.

We are plowing huge resources into the drug war and it is time to
admit that it is not working and another approach may work.

I say "may" as there can be no guarantees as to the outcome, however,
one thing is for sure-it is that the present system does not work.

A.J. Horan,
Kelowna
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake