DRUG POLICY: THE US LACKS THE ANSWERS WE NEED

Drugs Are Now Stronger, Cheaper and More Available in America

Sir, My colleague, Chief Constable Tim Hollis ("Think tank: fight
smart in the war on drugs", August 3) needs to read more news from the
United States about police tactics regarding the enforcing of drug
prohibition laws.

Every suggestion he made has been implemented and been successful, ie
knocking down drug kingpins, seizing assets etc. Despite success after
success, victory after victory, drugs in the States are cheaper,
stronger and more available to kids than a trillion tax dollars ago.
This has been a textbook example of ineffective policy.

What the chief constable apparently does not know is that drug dealers
accept long prison terms, loss of assets and even death as conditions
of employment. We in the police arena know that there is always
someone greedy or desperate enough to sell drugs, at all levels. There
is only one thing that strikes fear in the hearts and minds of the
drug dealer; namely the Government taking control of the drugs,
regulating them and selling them. Dealers would disappear, like a
London fog. Prohibition has not been a successful drug control strategy.

It never will be.

Howard J. Wooldridge (Ret'd)

Education Specialist, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

www.leap.cc

Washington, DC