SOLVE THE PROBLEM BY JAILING ADDICTS

I would like to comment on Jake Catlett's idea (Postbag, Aug 2) that the
old ways of fighting heroin don't work.

I certainly agree with Mr Catlett that there is a very serious drug problem
in the United States and that drugs cause a lot of crime. When I lived in
San Diego, California, I never went out of my house after the sun went down
for fear of being mugged.

However, I don't believe the Danish model for reducing heroin use would
work in the US, Denmark being a homogenous and small country and the US the
opposite.

Moreover, as a taxpayer I wouldn't want to fund some druggie's habit.

There is no doubt though that the US must try something other than what it
has been doing.

Since 1968, more than 30 years, the US has been fighting and losing a drug
battle, years and years wasted, billions down a rathole.

I think this proves that the American drug suppression programme has been
ineffective, incompetent and inept. Having the Americans run a drug
suppression programme is akin to having a troop of baboons fly a spaceship.

A tried and true method that really worked was the one used by Mao Zedong
in China in 1950. Of course, Mao didn't have the time or money to waste on
drug addicts.

At this stage of the game, I don't believe the US taxpayers can afford it
either. Therefore, I would suggest a modification of the Mao programme, and
call it the Singaporean programme, highly effective for removing druggies
from the street and really cost effective too.

You don't have to pay much in maintenance to keep them locked up and
regular people can walk the streets at all hours without a worry. So you
see, Mr Catlett, I do believe in the old ways but only if you use them.

Uncle Mike