WAR ON DRUG USE MORE HARMFUL THAN BENEFICIAL

Re: Ecstasy Anything But Mild Drug. One has to wonder if George
Skrettas took some sort of mind-altering drug before penning his July
17 letter. The United States' war on drugs (more accurately described
as the war on drug users) has to rank among the most abject failures
in modern government.

Thirty-plus years after it began, the so-called battle has squandered
billions of dollars and ruined thousands of lives with no positive
results to show for it. The U.S. currently has, according to
Department of Justice statistics, over 500,000 prisoners in jail for
illegal narcotics offences. Many of these people have never harmed
anyone except themselves through their habits, and most of those who
have caused harm did so because of the situation created by drug prohibition.

If people in Canada and the U.S. were free to consume whatever
chemicals they desired, the price of drugs would plummet, incidents
of violence would all but disappear, and the purity (and therefore
safety) of the drugs they consumed would be considerably increased.

It is interesting that the only example of success that Skrettas
points to (drug testing by employers) is not a government initiative
at all, but one carried out by the private sector.

As for the other items Skrettas says that are sold by criminals, it's
interesting to note that three of them - alcohol, gambling and
tobacco -- are under a state of semi-prohibition (that is their
distribution is severely regulated and they are highly taxed).

As for the involvement of organized crime in automobiles and
audiovisual equipment it's an assertion that, to use Mr. Skrettas own
words, "is also stupid."

Austin Heller

Windsor