MOUNTIE SAYS THANKS TO DARLANA FOR DRUG COLUMN

Thanks Darlana.

I was almost getting jaded on the youth in Red Deer but you restored
my faith (March 9th column "Escaping reality").

Please keep it up. You're what we keep working for.

I am a member of the RCMP and needed to read a letter such as your's
this week. The guy that wrote that we should legalize marijauna is
sadly mistaken.

In 1976 the Netherlands took a soft aproach to drugs and the
consequences are that the production of hard drugs and exportation has
become ever increasing.

The monies spent in rehabilitation of the drug addicts far outway the
taxes realized.

The Netherlands have become a centre for exportation to countries such
as Canada and the U.S., of drugs such as XTC, heroin, cocaine, and
amphetamines.

The Hells Angels and other world-wide organized crime groups have set
up shop in the Netherlands and run a very lucrative business from there.

It is very difficult to research this on the internet as the drug
alliances have sites set up to hit on key words such as cannabis or
marijauna. These sites lock up your terminals and make it almost
impossible to find unbiased reports on these topics.

I wrote letters to the editor in the past and had drug alliances
attack my letters almost immediately as they have huge resources and
unlimited finnances.

Don't ever believe what is in print as it is seldom without
prejudice.

I will admit freely I am prejudiced about hard or so called soft
drugs, as I have seen first hand the damage these drugs have caused:
ruined lives, loss of livelyhood, waste of our tax dollars, and
destroyed marriages and families.

D.Paterson

Red Deer