LEAP ARGUMENT MAKES SENSE

THE EDITOR:

Re: 'I'd rather listen to researchers about the danger of drugs,' Nov. 23
Times online edition.

The spokesperson for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition [LEAP] spoke
of wasted dollars and the response from Eric Myrholm was deafening:
"We must save the children from drug abuse, no matter the cost."

Myrholm apparently failed to listen to the rest of the LEAP argument,
because it makes good sense.

We know that for every $1 spent on harm reduction methods we get
results equivalent to $7 spent on cops and courts.

Society has only so many dollars to spend [the old first year
economics 'guns or butter'].

Therefore, by spending so much on cops and courts, society has cheated
itself out of much better results we could have had.

Sad, really, and the situation is not made better by unthinking rants
such as Myrholm presented.

BRUCE SYMINGTON

Medicine Hat, Alta.