PASSIVE SMOKING WORSE THAN HEROIN

THE recent payout to a bar attendant for cancer caused by passive smoking
only makes the stand on drugs harder to understand.

Many people have a jaundiced, illogical view of drug addicts, even going so
far as to consider them ``dirty drug-taking scum''.

But consider two drug addicts in the act of taking their drugs - one harms
only themself and the other inflicts potential death and suffering on
others with seemingly not a care in the world.

Of course, the latter is a cigarette smoker, while the former is an illegal
drug user.

A heroin user hurts no one else - in fact almost falls asleep, but a smoker
at a bar is knowingly inflicting second hand smoke on non-smokers.

It's prohibition that causes the crime from illegal drugs - why not
legalise them and then the only ``dirty druggies'' will be the tobacco and
alcohol drug users and we'd all be better off.

Lyndon Smith