AMERICA'S FAILED WAR ON DRUGS

Congratulations to Rick Holmes for his article (July 3) on Peter McWilliams, the latest victim in our national War On (some users of unpatentable) Drugs, our new (but just as dysfunctional as Alcohol) Prohibition. The price of liberty is eternal vigilance, and Holmes' call to conscience over the McWilliams murder serves the highest ideals of patriotism, freedom and journalism.

Not to tar Holmes with this brush of liability, but the best explanation for the persistence of our nation's failed prohibition-based drug control policies is simply shoddy journalism. If there were more like Holmes revealing that our criminal justice response to adult drug use (instead of a public health response to drug ABUSE) is a counterproductive fraud (more harm to citizens caused by drug prohibition, than by drug abuse), more effective, less harmful and less expensive policy (the state's cost to warehouse one prisoner could fund eight outpatients in drug or mental health treatment).

Michael D. Cutler, Newton