WAR ON DRUGS A LOSING BATTLE

The war on drugs has been futile and costly. The cost in dollars is
staggering. The costs of incarceration, personal freedom and liberty
are intolerable. The violence and death to innocents caught in the
crossfire are immoral.

Clearly the strategy used over the past 40 years is a complete
failure. There are intelligent people in the medical field who could
really make a difference if they could only be listened to and taken seriously.

Dangerous drugs such as crystal meth could be almost completely
eradicated if not for the greed of pharmaceutical companies that ship
over twice the amount of ingredients needed to make cold remedies to
Mexico and all the outlets that refuse to monitor their sale in America.

Two very legal drugs, alcohol and tobacco, are more dangerous and
deadly than heroin, cocaine, and marijuana combined; but their
legality has been bought and paid for by lobbyists in our corrupt
political system.

Our president, no stranger to drug and alcohol abuse, is too stubborn
and intolerant of other people's ideas to ever change course on a
long-failed policy. Staying the course whether in a failed war in
Iraq or a failed war on drugs is not courageous, patriotic or
intelligent. Sometimes you must change course in order to find what works best.

Bill Smith

Due West