ILLEGAL DRUGS: LAWS CREATE TRAGEDIES

Regarding Robert E. Riodan's not-so-thoughtful letter: "Illegal
Drugs: All dealers deserve death" (Nov. 28th)

Danny Pasanella died of a heroin overdose because the black market,
bootleg heroin he consumed was of unknown quality, unknown purity and
unknown potency. When pure pharmaceutical grade Bayer heroin was
legally sold in local pharmacies and grocery stores for pennies per
dose, deaths from heroin were very rare. And the term "drug-related
crime" didn't exist.

Largely because of our so-called "tough on drugs" policies the United
States is the most incarcerated nation in the history. We now have
greater than 2.2 million prisoners. For comparison Great Britain has
only about 80,000 total prisoners.

Tough drug laws do not deter drug use. The U. S. government
estimates that at least 100 millions Americans have used illegal
drugs. How many should be in jail or prison for doing so? I submit none.

Kirk Muse

Mesa