HIAASEN RIGHT ON FUTILE DRUG WAR

Carl Hiaasen said it all in his May 6 column, You call this a `war?'

Billions of tax dollars wasted, prisons filled to capacity and
virtually nothing has changed in 20 years.

The war against drugs is a pseudo war. Like the ``body counts'' in
Vietnam, the small victories are celebrated while the major ones
elude our forces. This, too, is a war in which politicians tell the
people what they want to hear.

We must save our youth from addiction by shifting the emphasis from
interdiction to prevention.

Will our leaders have the guts to do something about it? I hope so,
but I'm not going to hold my breath.

E.P. LARRICQ
Miami

Thank you for the fine column, The great American perpetual futility,
also known as the war on drugs. It contained just enough style of
humor to keep things in perspective.

RICHARD SINNOTT
Fort Pierce