So drug-related crime has shot up in the area (Evening News April 7).
What a surprise!

It proves that heavy-handed prohibitionist tactics are doing nothing
to solve the drugs problem or the associated fund-raising crime.

To punish an addict is senseless; they need help. Forcing them to buy
their substances of addiction at hugely-inflated illegal market
prices, does nothing to help them.

I am not suggesting that hard drugs be available over the counter in
the corner shop, but it is surely about time that the supply of hard
drugs was taken out of the hands of the criminal organisations and
pushers. Drugs which cost thousands of pounds on the illegal market
could be supplied by doctors at a fraction of the cost. This would
immediately knock the bottom out of the criminal supply, reduce
fund-raising crime drastically, and help in the identification and
treatment of addicts.

Such an idea is more than feasible. It has already been tried - and
it succeeded - by Doctor John Marks in an area of Liverpool. He
legally supplied heroin to addicts and all the above positive
consequences were seen.

The incidence of new addiction dropped - there was no need for the
addicts to raise funds through passing on some of their illegal drugs
at a profit to new users.

To a person who's heart is set on prohibition and punishemnet the idea
of helping addicts may seem unappealing. What is clear is that the
present system is disastrous, and a new approach is needed.

Sincerely,

Alun Buffry