LEGALIZING DRUGS MAKES SENSE

Letter writer John Goodman misses the point about legalization.

He says, "Why let kids have that first hit?"

No one arguing for legalization wants kids to have access, nor do we
want crack-vending machines in schools.

Keeping kids off drugs is one of the major reasons for legalization.
Police can spend all their time keeping kids off drugs as opposed to
the present reality where they spend most of our dollars keeping
adults off drugs.

The black market ensures not only the kids are not asked for
identification when purchasing drugs, but also ensures many of the
traffickers are children.

One of the biggest reasons for abolishing alcohol prohibition in the
U.S. was kids were getting drunk on the way to school. Classes were
often dismissed as so many kids were drunk. The centre of the
campaign to abolish alcohol prohibition in the U.S. was to save the
children who were being turned into alcoholics by myopic prohibitionists.

Once alcohol was legalized - presto - the problem of drunken school
children disappeared.

In view of this historical reality, Mr. Goodman is wrong and
legalization makes a whole lot of sense.

Chuck Beyer

Port Alberni