U.S. POLICY ON DRUGS HAS BIG REPERCUSSIONS ABROAD

Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Cesar Gaviria and Ernesto Zedillo's "The
War on Drugs Is a Failure" (op-ed, Feb. 23) is right on the money.
Responsible people from Latin America have shown the courage to state
what is politically incorrect in America. Now it is time for some high
profile responsible Americans to do the same.

We can control and tax legalized drugs, as we do cigarettes and
alcohol. Or we can give organized crime a corner on the illegal drug
market, jail our citizens and continue to follow a failed policy. Just
think back to Prohibition, which did not work. Today, legalized
alcohol produces tax revenue. The objections to drug legalization are
well known. "Smoking pot will lead to heroin addiction," etc. It is
time to get real. People have vices. They smoke cigarettes and get
lung cancer. They eat chocolate cake and get obese. They buy lottery
tickets and gamble. They drink beer and get high. But worst of all,
they take drugs and support organized crime. Let's change that to,
they take drugs and pay taxes and get high. I thank the gentlemen from
Latin America for raising the issue. Now it is up to America to follow
through.

Guy Randolph

Savannah, Ga.