EVERY SMALL BATTLE IS WORTH WINNING

Philip Comans and Alex Wodak (Letters, December 29) suggest the war on
drugs has failed. Really? Have they considered the effects on society
had the tonnes of drugs seized annually by authorities made it on to
the street? Millions upon millions of drug hits were destroyed before
they could do harm.

The implication, of course, is that we legalise drugs that are now
illegal. Given that the greatest social and financial damage comes
from the currently legal drugs - alcohol and tobacco - how on earth do
these people think legalisation will minimise the problem?

How would Mr Wodak or Mr Comans feel if their grandchild were to take
advantage of a law decriminalising heroin, and lose their life to an
overdose?

We don't give up fighting disease because it's difficult. We don't
give up fighting crime because some crime continues to happen. And
there must be no let-up in the fight to save the drug-addled among us
from themselves.

Peter Maresch

Lane Cove