A SIMPLISTIC VIEW OF A COMPLEX ISSUE

Re your editorial (The Age, 12/1). Along with many people who support
the liberalisation of the drug laws, you have simplified the issue.
Yes, it is a health problem, but it is also a criminal problem and a
societal problem. Trying to treat drug abuse on its own without taking
many other factors into account is very naive.

Your answer is to decriminalise, or legalise, the use of hard drugs.
This option seems to take no account of the fact that one reason that
less than 2 percent of the population has tried heroin is precisely
because it is illegal. If we legalised hard drugs, would it be worth
it in terms of the strong possibility that many more people would be
likely to give it a try?

We have had a gradual relaxing of society's attitude to the drug issue
over the past 14 years, ever since the country decided on a course of
harm minimisation as a foundation stone for a national drug policy. In
that time, we have only seen an increase in the use and abuse of
drugs, the misery caused to families and a growing cost to the community.

People say that we must change how we deal with this problem. We have
changed, and it has had a very negative effect. By all means argue
your case for liberalisation of the drug laws, but let's not simplify
a very complex issue.

WARWICK MURPHY,
Drug Awareness & Relief Movement
Victoria, Dandenong