THE WAR ON DRUGS HAS FAILED (4 of 7)

Your editorial tried, but failed, to define the arbitrary line you
draw between tobacco, alcohol and other,recreational substances. You
will never convince anyone that people drink rice cooking wine for the
flavour.

Alcohol kills more people, on a per user basis, than all illicit
substances combined.

Despite what you believe, tobacco is psychoactive. Between sloth and
obesity and car accidents, cigarettes are a leading preventable cause
of death.

What message will illicit drug regulation send to my
children?

They understand why I do not permit them to drive, smoke, drink, stay
up late or eat too much Halloween candy.

Drug regulation will send the message that adults are consistent; That
adults learn from their mistakes; That after waging a losing war on
our own citizenry for over 60 years we are wise enough to finally
implement the recommendations of every major study on drug control.
Drug regulation will put the crooks out of business, get the drugs out
of our schools and reinforce the message that some forms of
entertainment are for consenting adults.

There are myriad legal activities I would rather my children avoid -
watching Jerry Springer comes to mind - but I do not expect society
to prohibit these activities on my behalf.

Please stop wasting my tax dollars building prisons and criminalizing
otherwise law abiding adults to send a message to my children.

Do this parent a favour and spend the drug war budget on schools,
community centres, parks and recreation areas instead.

Matthew M. Elrod
Victoria, B.C.