PROHIBITION PROBLEM

You offered two recent opinion pieces about the drug war. One would
continue this war; the other would treat drugs as a public health
problem. In effect, the issue is whether to stop all use or to stop
problem use. History teaches that the latter is more effective.

National Prohibition (1920-1933) failed because it tried to stamp out
all drinking by prosecuting bootleggers. By the late 1920s the public
had begun to withdraw their support for Prohibition because they saw
1) an alcohol-free America was not possible, 2) the illegal wealth
enabled by Prohibition fostered street violence and official
corruption, 3) it was costly to imprison bootleggers, and 4) there was
a need for liquor tax revenue.

We ended Prohibition in 1933 and have learned to live with legal
alcohol by focusing on problem drinking. While many of us believe
alcohol regulation is still too soft, no responsible person has
proposed that we try again to stop all drinking.

John Chase

Palm Harbor