LEGAL DRUGS WOULD ADD CRIME

Dear Editor,

I completely disagree with Mr. Harvey [Law puts money in thugs'
pockets, Oct. 16 Letters, Langley Advance]. While I respect his
opinion, I have to say his statement is fallacious.

He feels drugs should be legalized, and compares the prohibition of
alcohol to the current-day drug trade.

However, alcohol had been legal prior to the prohibition, and the
legal desire was already there. Unlike alcohol, drugs were never legal
in Canada.

Do we need to legalize things just because there is a desire for
it?

Legalizing drugs would lead to an increase in use and increased levels
of addiction. Alcohol is already a detriment to society. Legalizing
drugs would only increase the number of drivers under some type of
influence.

Mr. Harvey believes that, if we legalize drugs, then the "monsters of
the lower echelons" will be eliminated. Unfortunately, it would not
decrease but increase the number of dealers. It would create a new
dealer, like those who sell alcohol to minors.

It's already easy for a minor to get tobacco and alcohol, and the
number of teens excessively using is growing at an alarming rate. Do
we really want to make access to mind-destroying drugs just as easy?

On another note, Mr. Harvey said, "People who are addicted to drugs
will get it by whatever means possible." Crime and drugs are closely
related. Crime is a means of financing drug use. Drugs can cause
people to commit crimes or engage in other dangerous situations.
Making drugs legal could cause an increase in crime, as drugs would be
more easily accessible.

Drugs like cocaine, heroin, and any pill/herb under the sun have been
illegal for a reason: they're harmful. If we legalize these potent
substances, who determines what next harmful product should be readily
available? If we make drugs legal, we as a country would be enabling a
severe problem to grow out of control.

If drugs were made readily available just blocks away from your house?
I don't think having drug-crazed addicts around, buying their daily
dosage of heroin, would help my property value.

It's bad enough to be consumed by the culture any time you go near the
Downtown East Side, but I am not about to roll over and allow it to
consume my neighbourhood.

Kait Huziak,

Aldergrove