BOO HOO

The compassion for the infant who was the focus of your drugs
editorial, "The littlest, unwitting victim" on Sept. 1, is
commendable.

However, your obvious lack of understanding concerning our current
drug situation and the reasons for it is patently obvious.

No advocate of re-legalization that I know will fail to acknowledge
the harms that come with addiction or the trafficking in addictive,
illegal drugs.

It should be noted, however, that in nations where nonpunitive drug
policies are practiced, such occurrences as that which your editorial
illustrates fail to happen.

Prohibition now, as early in the 20th century, will fail because of
its underlying notion that punishment will end drug use. There is no
such thing as zero use. We know that for young teen boys in the United
States, one of the most "popular" methods of intoxication is huffing,
the inhaling of chemicals and aerosol propellants. Are we then to make
illegal the chemicals with which we clean our kitchens? Hardly.

There are no victories in the war on drugs (aka Prohibition II), only
perpetual and escalating failure.

As we ended Prohibition I because of the problems it exacerbated, so
too must we end the drug war, for all the same reasons.

If you can, please demonstrate the successes of the drug war -- if you
can.

I'll wager you can't, simply because there aren't any.

Allan Erickson

Eugene, Ore.; Member, Drug Policy Forum of Oregon