FALLACY OF LEGALIZED DRUGS

RE: Letter from Emile Therien (March 2). An interesting concept was
broached, namely the idea that legalizing drugs would succeed in
eliminating gang violence where the war on drugs has not.

First and foremost, that would make a massive assumption that current
gang members would suddenly turn from a life of crime to legitimate
enterprise.

Well, what do you really think the odds of that are?

There is also the fallacy that legalizing drugs would remove the black
market for them. We already know that as long as any "recreational"
substance is under regulation it will be taxed.

When the price of the taxed item exceeds the price from a dealer what
happens? We see an illegal trade in cigarettes, booze, music, movies
and just about everything else that can be legally purchased, but is
subject to profit taking and taxation. Can we expect something
different with narcotics?

The social and economic cost of the war on drugs has the potential to
pale in comparison to the cost of an increasingly drug dependant population.

Hard drug users have to rob, steal and cheat to pay for their habits
now, changing the source of the drugs won't change that.

We also need to keep in mind the massive increase in government
personnel at all levels that would be required to regulate the drug
trade ... that won't come cheap.

Perhaps Emile is OK with the idea of his bus driver, daycare provider,
gas-fitter or neurosurgeon legally toking up before work, but I, for
one, am not.

Chris Potts

Ottawa

(Seems this is how great debates begin)