RECESS, MAN

At the press conference last week at which they announced the arrest
of major Italian cocaine traffickers, the RCMP asked Canadians to
remember that these ordinary-looking men were in the business of
putting drugs into schoolyards.

That's true as far as it goes. But what no one asked the RCMP is why
criminals risk prison to put drugs into schoolyards. The answer:
Because drugs are illegal.

The real cost of producing most drugs is very low. But prohibition
makes them scarce, which drives up the price. The profit margins on
drugs become huge, so huge as to outweigh the risk of punishment.
That's why criminals risk prison to put drugs in schoolyards.

The RCMP's hard work only guarantees that there will always be drugs
in schoolyards. That's the paradox of making drugs illegal.

Copyright 1998 The Ottawa Citizen

Checked-by: "Rich O'Grady"