DON'T UNDERESTIMATE DRUGS

America's confrontation with dangerous drugs dates back to the early
1900s when over-the-counter syrups were heavily laced with morphine,
many soft drinks contained cocaine and Bayer Pharmaceutical Products
introduced heroin a year prior to aspirin.

>From the lessons learned almost 100 years ago, we know our country has
already experimented with legalized drug use. We don't have to
speculate about what will happen if addictive drugs are legalized.
During this first epidemic, Americans made the conclusion that drugs
destroyed minds and lives.

In 1910, Congress was already addressing the health issues surrounding
what was then considered legal drug use. By the 1920's doctors were
prohibited for prescribing opiates for non-medicinal purposes.
Addictive drugs were criminalized because they are harmful; they are
not harmful because they were criminalized.

Amsterdam has found its experiment with liberalized drug use laws to
be a failure.

I agree we must increase treatment alternatives and look for new
methods, such as drug courts, to help solve America's drug problem.
However, the legalization of drugs will only increase the number of
people requiring drug treatment and drastically increase the health
care costs society will have to pay for the millions of non-working
abusers such programs would create.

We as a society cannot underestimate the hazards of drug
use.

Kenneth Tims,
commander, Phoenix Police Department,
Drug Enforcement Bureau, Phoenix