The sentencing of Robert Downey Jr. to three years in the penitentiary is just one more example of our barbarous approach to the drug problem in this country (Aug. 6). Fifty years from now they will look back on these times and shake their heads in disbelief that we put people in prison for addiction problems, instead of offering treatment for what is a health not a criminal problem.

The war on drugs is a total, miserable failure, and you need look no further back in our history than the pathetic attempt at prohibition of alcohol in the 1920s to see what a doomed policy it truly is. Prohibition didn't work then, and it's not working now.

DON M. HOWARD, Oak Hills



[end]

Re the article about Hosep Bajakajian and his problems with the U.S. customs authorities, who seized $357,144 that he had hidden from them when he was embarking for Syria in 1994 (Nov. 4):

The authorities have since learned that Bajakajian's only crime was concealing the money itself, since he had obtained it entirely legally, and was taking it to Syria to repay debts to relatives. However, under our drug laws, the government is permitted to seize and keep this money, because "it was involved in a crime." Never mind that the "crime" was simply that it was concealed; the government can and probably will keep the man's money anyway.

[continues 93 words]

* Re the article about Hosep Bajakajian and his problems with the U.S. customs authorities, who seized $357,144 that he had hidden from them when he was embarking for Syria in 1994 (Nov. 4):

The authorities have since learned that Bajakajian's only crime was concealing the money itself, since he had obtained it entirely legally, and was taking it to Syria to repay debts to relatives.

However, under our drug laws, the government is permitted to seize and keep this money, because "it was involved in a crime." Never mind that the "crime" was simply that it was concealed; the government can and probably will keep the man's money anyway.

[continues 96 words]