DRUG STATUS

In his Sept. 4 letter to the editor, "Forgotten topic," Russell
Hebert called attention to this nation's so-called war on drugs.
Unquestionably, we are losing this war. Hebert called attention to
crime, deaths and the drain on law-enforcement resources. What he did
not mention is that the abuse of alcohol causes more crime and death
than the abuse of illegal drugs.

When I served as one of the non-addicted members of the board of the
Greater Indianapolis Council on Alcoholism, my eyes were opened to
the sobering fact that alcohol is legally available at just about
every convenience, drug and grocery store in America.

This nation tried to outlaw alcohol once, and it failed. We need
seriously to consider decriminalizing drugs that are illegal simply
because some legislative bodies decided so.

When we come to our senses and assign heretofore illegal drugs the
same status as drugs pushed by the politically well-connected
pharmaceutical giants, distilleries, wineries and breweries, we will
see a conforming decline in the incarceration of our young people and
a corresponding decline in unwarranted police activity to put them there.

Consuming too much of just about anything is unwise, whether it be
aspirin or Budweiser. Because we have made certain things produced
either by Mother Nature or chemistry illegal, we have overcrowded jails.

Let's stop squandering our law-enforcement resources on Rush
Limbaugh, Sally with glaucoma or Pee Wee the dope dealer.

Choice Edwards

Clermont