THE HIGH COST OF A $100 FIX

In eight weeks my business has been broken into "successfully" twice
and vandalised in attempted break-ins almost every weekend. The
consensus among the insurance and police folk is that the offenders
were "druggies" looking for a hundred dollars or so for their next
fix. These break-ins have resulted in bills of about $3,000 for glass
and security system repairs and $3,000 to replace a notebook computer
- - with tens of thousands of dollars worth of lost information not
recoverable under insurance.

I am amazed that anyone can still lend an ear to the prohibitionists
who cannot see the need to at least try something different.

Decriminalising "hard drugs" will not stop all crime. But there is
abundant evidence that the vast bulk of the danger, suffering and
immense cost could be stopped virtually overnight for both the direct
participants and the rest of the community.

Peter Wigley,
Reid, ACT.