WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?

Your Tuesday editorial "The Main Thing" inaccurately characterized those
who oppose our present system of drug prohibition as not taking the drug
abuse problem seriously. A regulated reversal of many of the prohibition
laws would most likely have the effect of decreasing the adverse effects of
drug abuse.

We learned this through the Volstead Act, which prohibited alcohol in the
United States. It made a great opportunity for organized crime, and much
adverse health effects from illegal alcohol. It did not stop alcohol abuse.

Our present system of drug prohibition is tantamount to subsidizing the
illicit drug purveyors by $400 billion a year -- about the amount of our
defense budget.

Bill Lockhart
Alpine

WE WON'T SHUT UP

According to "The Main Thing," the Editorial Board apparently thinks that
people who get up and express their contrary opinion at school- sponsored
drug forums are attention-seekers. I also know that when the `Star-Telegram
uses the term `sideshow,' it is intended as a pejorative.

Those of us in the movement that I know may be offended, but we are not
stigmatized. We are not going to shut up and sit down, and we are rather
proud of that.

Lest you editorialists be consumed in your own sense of having the answers,
let me point out that your championed solutions haven't worked yet. So
think a bit about this: Insanity is continuing to do the same things and
expecting different results.

Larry Nickerson
Fort Worth

FORBIDDEN FRUIT

I lost a very close relative earlier this year due to alcohol, and I am
still grieving over that loss. However, I think that one way to really get
rid of the epidemic of drug addiction as well as alcoholism would be
legalization.

Most street drugs are being consumed by teen-agers, mainly because they are
the "forbidden fruit." Alcohol, although legal, is still the "forbidden
fruit" to those who are under 21. Furthermore, there is a criminal element
out there that is making the kind of money that most of us will never see
in a lifetime because of the criminality of drug use.

Our society is losing the "war against drugs," and we will keep losing it
as more teen-agers either die or become mentally or physically handicapped,
not to mention the babies born to drug-addicted mothers.

Legalization of drugs and the removal of the minimum age for alcohol would
benefit our society because the government could license and tax these
substances just like anything else we consume. After these substances are
legalized, then increase the education about alcohol and drug use and show
graphically how bad it is all for us.

Once the element of prohibition is removed, fewer teen-agers will be
tempted to try alcohol or drugs, the criminal element will lose its main
source of income, and there will be more room behind bars for the violent
criminals who are truly a threat to our society.

Maria M. Moon
Fort Worth

Checked-by: Mike Gogulski