Pubdate: Tue, 14 Apr 2009 Source: Times-Herald, The (Vallejo, CA) Copyright: 2009 The Times-Herald Contact: http://www.timesheraldonline.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/993 Author: Ralph Givens DRUG DISASTER People who support drug prohibition usually have little knowledge of the disastrous effects of America's drug crusade. Most people who favor drug laws have no idea that all of our current "drug problems" come from a lunatic drug war that has continuously failed for more than 90 years. History clearly shows that there was no such thing as "drug crime," "drug gangs" or "criminal drug cartels" before drug prohibition. All of the crime, death, disease and murder associated with drugs began after the drugs were outlawed. Think about it for a minute. Before drug prohibition our only drug problem was some addicts who may or may not have liked the long term effects of opiate addiction. However, their personal problems were their own problems until drug crusaders vowing to "save people from themselves" came along and began throwing drug users into prison "for their own good." Up until then drug users were upstanding citizens who worked regular jobs, raised decent families and committed no crimes. Now most of the crime in the country is drug prohibition related. Supporting drug prohibition requires ignoring the fact that our prisons are now overloaded with drug users, not violent criminals. Sensible people want America's destructive drug policies ended. Ralph Givens Daly City - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin