Pubdate: Monday 01 November 1999
Source: Calgary Herald (CN AB)
Copyright: 1999 Calgary Herald
Contact:  P.O. Box 2400, Stn. M, Calgary, Alberta T2P 0W8
Fax: (403) 235-7379
Website: http://www.calgaryherald.com/
Forum: http://forums.canada.com/~calgary

THE WAR ON DRUGS HAS FAILED

The reality of the `mind-altering' editorial is different with y'all up
there than with us down here.  Down here, the notion of stopping drug use
ends up with cities becoming combat zones with military-style policing.
Please, don't go there.

Prohibition is worse than a dead-end street. It creates a black market and
the thugs take over.  Then the citizenry - hopefully adequately represented
by its local government - has to hire thugs to handle those thugs. Things
get nastier. It will escalate. And protection will cost more and more.

Allan Erickson
Eugene, Ore.

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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart