FUTILE

Prohibition - Re: "Family bravely battles to defeat demon drug," Feb. 17.

How many more people have similar stories? Do we build the necessary
treatment centres for them?

No, of course not. We ignore the facts and use prohibition laws to
imprison drug addicts, wasting millions of dollars annually on
creating criminals out of drug consumers and drug abusers.

Prohibition only adds more harm to that which addictive drugs causes
already. People will do drugs, gamble and take risks. Threatened with
expensive, long prison terms and even death, humans still consume
drugs. Regulating drugs like alcohol is the only safe answer.

Regulate, tax and educate. Use the billions saved to fund treatment
centres and research into better ways to stop or at least reduce the
harm addictions cause.

Keith Fagin,

Calgary