COST OF LEGALIZING DRUGS WAY TOO HIGH

A Tempe letter writer advises that illicit drugs should be made
legal, and hence the "war" on drugs, with all its excesses could be
reduced as a result ("Legalization better than war on drugs,"
Letters, Thursday).

The Marin Institute states that alcohol-related health expenditures
alone are greater than $22 billion a year. Is the letter writer
prepared to spend similar sums of money that will be necessary to
treat all the "new" illnesses caused by the new, legal drugs?

Does the writer think there will be a savings involved here?

I see another profound drain on the font of health-care dollars
because of such delusional thinking.

- - Dr. Daniel Beck, Prescott