EDUCATION, NOT INTERDICTION, IS BEST WAY TO FIGHT DRUGS

Letter to the editor writer Joseph I. Molyneux ("Agents make the
sacrifices in nation's `war on drugs' " Jan. 9) registered his dissent
to a piece written by Ken Fuson, which advocated that addicts who seek
help should get it.

Mr. Molyneux apparently feels that everyone in our country not using
drugs would succumb to addiction just as soon as his "heroes" (Drug
Enforcement Administration agents) stopped doing the wonderful work
they do.

Does he really believe that's how people behave?

Speaking for myself and everyone I know, the question of legal vs.
illegal drugs would not change our drug use at all. Education, on the
other hand, has already been demonstrated to work. Just look at the
statistics on smoking in this country: a 50 percent reduction in the
number of smokers over the past 25 years has been achieved by
increasing public awareness of the dangers of smoking.

Prohibiting a substance or an act increases its appeal -- that's human
nature.

Those who become addicts are not responding to simple availability of
a drug. These people have medical problems that need to be cured. The
U.S government's approach of demonizing and incarcerating them only
ensures that they'll never get better.

Bryan Soul
Boston, Mass.