GIVE HEROIN MAINTENANCE A TRY INSTEAD OF CRITICISM

I want to thank The Sun for its article on the heroin maintenance program
being discussed in Baltimore ("Test of `heroin maintenance' may be launched
in Baltimore," June 10). I feel new approaches to this problem should be
applauded, not condemned before they are given a chance.

The drug war in this country during the past 25 years has been an appalling
failure. We have wasted billions of taxpayers' dollars and have gotten
nowhere. Our political leaders need to get their heads out of the clouds
and stop spouting the same old rhetoric.

We need to get these people help, and I feel a program like this would go a
long way to accomplish this.

Have we learned nothing from the Swiss study, or are we just closing our
eyes to these results because of political pressures?

Prohibition has never worked in this country because freedom is an American
way of life. As long as we have people we will have drug users, and we need
to supply help for those who want it.

Samuel Battista Princess Anne

Checked-by: (Joel W. Johnson)