THE NUGE VS DRUGS

Ted Nugent needs a brain scan. America's insane drug crusade has
utterly failed for more than 90 years ["We could be winning the war on
drugs," June 14]. Ignoring the fact drug prohibition is responsible
for the United States being the world leader in incarceration, Nugent
wants to expand this engine of destruction until we can no longer
afford police and prison expenses. We already spend a $100 billion a
year on a failed drug war without accomplishing a single worthwhile
goal.

The only reason our inner cities are "war zones" is because of a
lunatic drug policy, not drug use. The only reason terrorists can make
money selling drugs is because they're illegal. Without the drug laws
that Nugent loves so well, al-Qaeda and the Taliban would be peddling
honey and flowers to raise money instead of reaping billions from this
absurd drug policy. The reason Mexican drug cartels are wreaking havoc
is because of the billions to be made in an illegal market, not
because they're stoned out of their minds.

Incidentally, the killing of Pablo Escobar accomplished nothing toward
reducing cocaine supplies in the United States. Cocaine smuggling from
South America is up more than 20 percent since Escobar died. It's time
to stop thinking that getting tougher on drugs accomplishes anything
worthwhile.

Ralph Givens

Daly City, Calif.