OUR WAR ON DRUGS HAS FAILED

Re: Proposed Drug Laws Come Under Fire At Hearings, May 4.
The fact that Canada's illegal drug trade hit a 30-year high in 2007
clearly illustrates
that this country's war on drugs has been a dismal, costly and total
failure. The
so-called war will simply not reduce the use of illicit drugs, and
associated crime, in
our society.

The question is hardly ever asked: How many Canadians use illicit
drugs? It is important to put the issue in perspective. At most 4% of
the population use drugs and less than 2% of the population have a
problem stemming from a hard drug like cocaine or heroin -- hardly a
scourge or epidemic!

Considering these low numbers, shouldn't our priorities be treatment,
rehabilitation and demand-reduction programs? These solutions are
cheaper and more effective in dealing with our country's "manageable"
drug problem.

History clearly reveals that prohibition does not work.

Emile Therien, Ottawa.