LEGALIZING DRUGS COULD DIMINISH DANGERS

Norm Jackson evidently feels strongly the most effective way to
minimize the harm caused by drugs is to prohibit them by law
("Legalizing marijuana makes no sense," June 16). Didn't we try that
with alcohol, only to realize that prohibition caused more harm than
before, including deaths and blindness caused by adulterated booze?

Adulterated street heroin killed my 19-year-old son in 1993, so I
vehemently disagree with Jackson. We should legalize all recreational
drugs and stop throwing gazillions of dollars down a rat hole
persecuting a vulnerable minority whose drugs of choice differ from
those chosen by "respectable" people.

Alan Randell

Victoria, British Columbia