CHEAP HEROIN DOESN'T MEAN INCREASED USE

MR SIEVERS at least acknowledges that legalising heroin is a viable
option which must be explored ("Take care not to leap into an abyss",
Letters, March 8). However, his argument that lowering the price of
heroin will encourage people to try it is faulty.

In the Netherlands, where such a legalised program exists, the entire
nation is not lying around in a heroin-induced stupor.

Everyone with any sense knows that heroin leads to
addiction.

Also, since hash bars are plentiful there, most people prefer
innocuous mary jane to lethal heroin.

Regardless of whether more people try heroin as a result of its price
being lowered, people are trying it now. Don't these addicts deserve
protection from overdose and violence?

People who are going to try heroin are going to try heroin
anyway.

I would rather have more people trying heroin, receiving accurate
information about it from informed doctors, and having open access to
detoxification centres so they can kick their addiction than the
present state of things where an addict has nowhere to turn.

LOREN E. CLIVE
Berkeley, California, USA