ELIMINATE THE CRIMINALS

Clifford Schaffer is right on target (Prohibition greater evil, April 3).
His views about the urgent need to end the so-called "Drug War" echo the
views expressed by a growing group of judges and police who believe the
best way to deal with dangerous drugs is to legalize them and eliminate the
criminal dealers. They have organized as Law Enforcement Against
Prohibition (www.leap.cc).

LEAP knows that criminal dealers are the ones who actively market dangerous
drugs to minors and who conduct violence in the streets. Most important
criminal dealers require millions of valuable police man-hours be wasted in
a futile attempt to "control" illegal drug flow. The only way to control an
in-demand drugs is to have them in a regulated market. This is how we deal
with the risky and most commonly abused drug in America -- alcohol.

Legalizing drugs will not solve all the problems related to drug use and
abuse. But we did not end alcohol Prohibition in 1934 because alcohol use
was without risk. We did it because of the urgent need to put Al Capone and
other criminal dealers out of business and move the product into a market
that could be easily monitored by authorities. We were then more able to
help those who have problems with alcohol while respecting the privacy of
those who use the drug responsibly.

It's time for an equally sensible change in policy for the 21st century.

Stephen Heath

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

Clearwater Fla.

(Good luck convincing your peers.)