Headline: Dealing with drugs

Robert Novak ("The finish of the antidrug war in Colombia," Opinion,
Aug.7) has brought us another one of those drugwar stories with the
usually helping of political intrigue and the apparent invincibility of the
Colombian drug enterprise. Yes, it's tragic, and, yes, we seem powerless
to stop the flood of drugs into the United Statesand the reciprocal flood
of money leaving the country to reward the gangsters of Colombia. All very
sad indeed!

The key to the problem may lie in the somewhat casual comment by Novak that
the Colombians are bargain selling drugs that make heroin "the drug of
choice for young, white Americans." Poor babies. They are helpless victims
of those bad Colombians. The price break is just too tempting for them to
resist and they,lemminglike, commit to a life of torture and desperation.

Perhaps the ultimate answer is to give the damn drugs away. Those who have
enough sense and selfcontrol to manage their lives will survive. Those who
don't will perish.

I am fed up with the victim mentality and the futile waste of money trying
to end the drug problem. This is a market economy.No customers,no sales.

Albert H. Allen
La Habra