LEAP SAYS IT'S TIME TO LEGALIZE, REGULATE ILLEGAL DRUGS

Robert Gregg (Your View, April 1) is right on target. His views about the
urgent need to end the so-called "Drug War" echo the views expressed by a
growing group of other 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 - LEAP (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 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.
It's time to legalize drugs.

STEPHEN HEATH

Clearwater, Fla.

The writer is with the Florida office of Law Enforcement Against
Prohibition. http://leap.cc/tbay