'WAR ON DRUGS' NOT THE ANSWER

A group of criminal justice professionals is speaking out against the
"war on drugs." Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (also known as
LEAP) is composed of cops, judges, wardens, DEA and FBI agents,
prosecutors, etc., who believe U.S. drug policy is not only a failure
but terribly destructive.

Jerry Cameron, a retired police chief from the Jacksonville area, was
on Pensacola's public TV recently, making LEAP's case.

The idea of meth being legally available may seem ludicrous at first,
but it would be better to have a meth addict get his "fix" from the
local pharmacy than the current situation in which we have dangerous
meth labs being operated in our neighborhoods.

The United States has 5 percent of the world's population yet 25
percent of the world's prison population. A large percentage of
prisoners are in prison because of drugs. Something is wrong.
Corrections is becoming big business in America with a powerful
legislative lobby.

Legalization is not an answer to America's drug problem. It is an
answer to America's crime and violence problem. I challenge local,
current and former criminal justice professionals with courage to
join LEAP and help prevent the multitude of unintended harmful
consequences resulting from our "war on drugs" and reduce the
incidence of death, disease, crime and addiction by ultimately ending
drug prohibition. Then and only then can we begin to address our drug problem.

Gil Joiner

Gulf Shores