DRUG WAR

It is becoming more clear every day that America's drug crusade has
budget-busting costs without providing the slightest benefit.

Providing security for Thomason Hospital is only a tiny fraction of
the money being wasted on a long-failed drug prohibition approach.

The counterproductive nature of America's drug war goes back to the
beginning of this destructive policy. Before we had drug laws, there
was no such thing as "drug crime."

There were no drug gangs, no criminal drug cartels and no such thing
as a societal "drug problem."

All of this is a result of drug prohibition, not drug
use.

It's worth remembering how repealing alcohol prohibition put an end to
the booze gangs. Within a matter of days the bootleggers were out of
business and we haven't had a bombing or a shootout over beer routes
since 1933.

Criminals can only operate a black market as long as their product is
illegal. Legalization makes it possible to regulate the recreational
drug industry while prohibition puts all of the power into the hands
of career criminals.

Ralph Givens

Daly City, Calif.