LEGALIZE DRUGS

Re: "Powerful warning in ecstasy death," Dec. 31.

The recent tragedy of a death from ecstasy is simply an example of
our failed drugs policy.

I don't approve of drug abuse and don't think young people should try
them. It's quite obviously a dangerous behaviour, but it also
obviously continues to happen.

A psychiatrist commented last year in the British Medical Journal
that his son climbed Everest. That is also clearly risky behaviour
(mortality 10 per cent), but as he said, at least his son had the
benefit of firstclass equipment.

Instead of our punitive and clearly failed policy on drugs, why not
legalize them? At least then if young people decide to undertake this
silly behaviour. they could know what they were ingesting or
injecting. There would also be less incentive for crime involved in
the OxyContin abuse problem for pharmacists. I worry for the safety
of those colleagues.

By the way, outside sub-Saharan Africa, the commonest cause of
HIV/AIDS is illegal drug use. That's a huge economic cost, and an
unacceptable human cost.

James Currie, Calgary