ONLY DRUG SOLUTION IS DECRIMINALIZATION

The war on drugs rages on the Op-Ed page in the April 30 and May 1 columns,
respectively, of Cynthia Tucker ("Drug war burns up lives as badly as the
scourge") and Clarence Page ("Students are collateral damage in war on
drugs"). Mr. Page laments the denial of federal aid "for a year or more to
students convicted of drug crimes . . . ." And Alcoholics Anonymous, Ms.
Tucker observes, says that "the definition of insanity is doing the same
thing over and over again and expecting a different result," as the war on
drugs has done.

The insanity of this war is indicated by the way "it ruins lives, wrecks
families and breeds crime . . . a classic burn-the-village-to-save-it
strategy," writes Ms. Tucker. She asks: "Why does our criminal justice
system treat drug addicts the same way it treats car thieves and bank
robbers." Could it be to nourish the burgeoning industry of prison
construction?

The real reason is that hardly anybody in government has the guts to
challenge the madness of treating a medical/educational problem as a
criminal matter. I want to applaud the voice that calls for
decriminalization of drug use. But I won't hold my breath waiting.

A. William Larson

Palm Beach Shores