DRUG PROHIBITION IS A COSTLY FAILURE

Re: Coast guard goes fishing for 'subs', May 16

Sadly, the U.S. spending $48.7 billion a year on prohibition and, as
your story describes, intercepting cocaine deliveries to North
American customers cannot reduce illegal drug use. This simply
increases the street price and thus the potential rewards of smuggling.

Smugglers will smuggle while citizens will pay. Let's legalize and tax
drugs, using those prohibition billions on aggressive preventive
education and positive community alternatives. Our best prohibition
efforts are ineffective.

Michael Stephen

Vancouver