PROHIBITION STILL IS NOT WORKING

To the editor:

I am responding to Hugh Kelley's letter, "Legalization won't work" (
Jan. 3 ). When alcohol prohibition ended in 1933, the crime rate
declined substantially. For 10 consecutive years the murder rate declined.

Prohibition of recreational drugs isn't working, except to provide
full employment for those doing the prohibiting.

Because of drug prohibition, drug buyers are buying drugs of unknown
quality, unknown purity and unknown potency. This is not unlike the
"bathtub gin" of the alcohol prohibition era that resulted in
needless deaths and blindings.

Kirk Muse,

Vancouver, Wash.