NATION'S DRUG POLICY BOTH INSANE AND STUPID

Editor:

I'm writing about Adam Scavone's outstanding letter: "Think of the
money lost by current drug policy" (Oct. 14).

I'd like to add that throwing more and more money at our drug problem
is not the answer. We have been doing this for more than 35 years. The
net results are that illegal drugs are just as available today as they
were in 1969.

I'd like to add that in 1969 the U.S. federal drug enforcement budget
was $65 million. Last year it was $19.2 billion. (These figures don't
include the cost of incarceration nor the state and local costs).

The $19.2 billion is greater than a 29,500 percent increase. If the
price of coffee which sold for 25 cents a cup in 1969 had increased at
the same rate, we would now be paying almost $75 for a cup of coffee.
More than $75 with sales tax.

One definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again
and expecting a different result. It's also a good definition of stupidity.

Our nation's drug policy has been both insane and stupid. It's time to
do something different -- substantially different.

Kirk Muse

Mesa, Ariz.