* I welcome Charles Kennedy's appeal for a royal commission to look at
the question of legalising drugs (High time to act over drugs, August
19). That commission should also examine the economic consequences of
legalisation. The drugs industry is a fantastic commercial success.
With an annual turnover conservatively estimated at 34 billion, banned
drugs create employment opportunities for thousands of people, many
from deprived areas.

Legalising the supply of drugs, which would amount to nationalisation,
would result in a huge loss of income for this sector, and a transfer
of wealth to the government. It would also cause a huge reduction in
petty crime, as the price of addictive drugs fell. The government must
commit most of the savings this would achieve to regenerating areas
hard hit by the removal of income from drugs trading.

LAURENCE MANN
Twickenham, Middlesex