TOUGH-ON-DRUGS POLICIES DO NOT WORK IN THE U.S.

I'm writing about your thoughtful editorial: "Mandatory minimums a smoke
screen" (5-22-05).

I'd like to add that if tough-on-drugs policies worked, the quixotic goal
of a drug-free America would have been reached a long time ago.

And if tolerant drug policies created more drug use, the Netherlands would
have much higher drug usage rates than the United States.

They do not.

In fact, the Dutch use marijuana and other recreational drugs at much lower
rates than Americans do. See the Web site:
http://www.drugwarfacts.org/thenethe.htm. And if tolerant drug policies
caused more overall crime, especially violent crime, the Dutch would have
much higher crime rates than the U.S.

They do not.

The Dutch murder rate is less than one-third the U.S. per capita murder
rate, and their rate of incarceration is about one-seventh the U.S.
incarceration rate.

In the Netherlands, marijuana is sold to adults without criminal sanctions
in coffee shops.

In the United States, marijuana is sold by criminals who often sell other,
much more dangerous drugs, and who often offer free samples of the more
dangerous drugs to their marijuana customers - thus the gateway effect.

Legalize, regulate and control the sale of marijuana and we close the
gateway. I'd like to add that I have never seen heroin, cocaine, LSD or
methamphetamine. However, I was offered free samples of these dangerous
drugs on several occasions, by my marijuana suppliers, when I was a user of
marijuana, which is more than 15 years ago.

Like the vast majority of marijuana users, I was only interested in
marijuana and no other illegal drugs.

Fortunately, I turned down all offers of free samples of other drugs.
Unfortunately, many others do not - thus the gateway effect.

Kirk Muse

Mesa, Ariz.