LEGALIZE DRUGS TO REDUCE SUFFERING

Thanks to Dan Gardner for his excellent piece on the stupidity of the
war on drugs (May 13).

I find it incomprehensible that we should live in a society wherein a
few people create a terrible demand that costs lives. It is not the
"druggies" who are at fault; it is the dealers.

Were drug use to be legal, it would save money; far more important,
it would save lives. To be able to go into the local pharmacy and be
treated like a human being who has, very unfortunately, become a drug
user would lessen the cost of drug-dealing by immeasurable amounts --
money that could be spent on other aspects of improving our society.

Treat drug-dealing for what it is: a terrible need. Think of people
who attempt suicide because of the unbearable burden of being unable
to get through the day. I do believe that those who are emotionally
imprisoned and desperately look for a means to escape use drugs as a
doorway. The door isn't open for long -- only hours, maybe, but then
the need for another chemical curtain is imperative.

Of course some drug users started on this terrible road because, as
teenagers, they thought it would be "fun" to try it. Part of the
"fun" is the fact that they are breaking the law. It isn't fun later on.

Legalize the use of drugs; then help those who are addicted. It's a
simple solution that would not only save lives, but also save
hundreds of thousands of dollars that could be put to better use than
giving it to street dealers.

Dr. Marlene Hunter

Victoria