END THE DRUG WAR

To the editor:

Arthur Cannon's commentary (March 23, "Two more myths of the drug war")
actually promoted another myth: that prohibition and legalization are the
extremes.

Prohibition is definitely an extreme, but the other one is subsidy. In
Zurich, for example, addicts are rewarded with "free" drugs, counseling and
many other subsidies ­ government has changed from prohibitionist to provider.

I don't put much stock in politicians' wild ideas either to control or
rehabilitate 250 million people or more. It seems to me that the middle,
moderate, small-government solution is legalization. Simply end the drug
war and go back to prosecuting crimes with victims.

Dan Litwin

San Diego, Calif.