DRUGS ARE ILLEGAL FOR A GOOD REASON

Re: Legalize the sale of drugs, Opinion, Dec. 1.

You can argue the merits of legalizing the sale of drugs to reduce
criminal violence but this misses the reason why such drugs are
illegal. The really important social impact of selling drugs is on
user lives -- not those criminals who traffic in them.

Most of the reported violence is criminal against criminal. Frankly,
this is of lesser concern. The destruction of the user lives due to
illegal drugs that is ignored by Ricardo Artunduaga is the greater
social concern. Legalization might lead to lower prices and
controlled distribution. It also implies a social acceptance and
likely wider use.

Those who need easy money to escape poverty or hard work and decide a
criminal life choice is best for them would seek other criminal
outlets with similar competitive violence. You only need to consider
the diversity of established organized crime to realize that
legalization is a non-starter as a solution to criminal violence in
drug pushing.

Brian V. Ralph

Toronto