LEGALIZATION ONLY WAY TO STOP STREET-LEVEL DRUG DEALING

Re: "Junk science," editorial, Friday, Jan. 19.

Your editorial observations make a lot of sense to me, based on my 26
years as a New Jersey state trooper with over a dozen years working
undercover narcotics.

Regardless of how many arrests and seizures cops make across your
country, there will never be a demonstrable reduction in street
trafficking of illegal drugs. Despite almost four decades of the
U.S.-inspired "war on drugs," anyone in Canada who wants these drugs
can score with little problem, no matter how much some citizens or
police object.

Our experience has proven there's only one way to virtually eliminate
street drug dealing, and that is to legalize the drugs and move their
sale into a regulated setting.

We can all easily agree that the legal drugs of alcohol and tobacco
are not sold on the street by criminal dealers and gangs.

And even with their often very high retail prices in a legal market,
over 97 per cent of pharmaceutical drug sales are made off the street
by licensed, regulated dealers.

Quite simply, a street market cannot compete with a legal, regulated
market.

A legal system for distributing risky drugs is not without problems.
But it is certain that public safety for police and our neighbourhoods
will be increased when we legalize drugs and begin to better address
the very real community problems with drug abuse as a health and
social service issue.

We strongly encourage more open and public discussion about the failed
war on drugs and the urgent need to legalize and to regulate all drugs.

Jack A. Cole, Executive Director

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

Medford, Mass.