PATERSON HAS A POINT

Re: Jody Paterson's column "Heroin crisis is our own creation," June 16.

Paterson is saying out loud what many of us have been saying for some time
without being heard. In this column she has put the whole question of drug
use and prohibition in focus.

If drugs were legal and given to addicts, the crime rate would be
drastically reduced. Softer drugs like marijuana could be sold out of
licenced outlets as is done in other jurisdictions. The quality of drugs
could be controlled and the likelihood of overdose or other complications
would be minimized.

The costs of our penal system, our legal system and our medical system would
also be greatly decreased if drugs were legalized. It seems to me that this
would be a good thing all round. I wonder how much longer it will take for
the powers that be to get the message and act.

Perhaps the time will be a little shorter because of Jody's column.

W. Robert Arnold, Victoria