DRUG APPROACH DOESN'T WORK

To The Editor:

Regarding "Police target drug trafficking in schools" published June
15, if cannabis (marijuana) is the most frequent illegal drug used by
high school students and it promotes organized crime, as Const.
Chantal Farrah claims, it can only be because of the way it is made
illicit.

Teens smoking up in the middle of the day may very well be of the
opinion that marijuana is harmless. Harm is not reflected in the way
marijuana, and other substances, are legislated.

As it stands, teens wouldn't think of treating alcohol in a similar
fashion.

Even if they wanted to, the prospects of them buying from a retailer
of alcohol are about slim to none and they know it.

The same can't be said about marijuana (or other drugs).

The police can talk about getting young people on the right track,
etc. until they're blue in the face.

Only when drug laws start reflecting some sensible correlation between
intent and the methodological approach taken, will students (or
thinking adults) take them seriously.

It's one thing to earn respect through demonstrations of honesty and
integrity, it's quite another to think it can be gotten through being
disingenuous.

Kids only grow up learning to distrust police and authority
figures.

Wayne Phillips, Hamilton, Ont.