GLAMOUR FACTOR OF PROHIBITED DRUGS LURES YOUNGSTERS

Sir, As an American and retired police officer, I apologise for the
incredible distortions by Joseph Califano in his article "Drug
legalisation is playing Russian roulette" (August 16). He must know
that the Swiss abandoned the Needle Park project in Zurich in 1994.
From that failure arose the "treatment-on-demand" programme, which
has dramatically reduced crime, death, disease and drug use. It has
been copied in six countries because of its success.

Mr Califano is not board-certified in addiction psychiatry. Those who
are have stated that drug use would change little in a legal,
regulated market. They have stated that the glamour factor of the
forbidden fruit created by prohibition will attract more kids to try
the drugs than are deterred by its being illegal. The Drug
Enforcement Administration reports for the US: "Drugs are readily
available to American youth."

Our government also reports that more than 900,000 teens are employed
as drug-dealers, which gets them shot or killed on a regular basis.
Now we know that al-Qaeda makes billions selling drugs, which
provides them with the weapons resources to create a 7/7 and a 9/11.

Right, Mr Califano. Drug prohibition is working so well there is no
need to change anything.

Officer Howard J. Wooldridge (Rtd),

Education Specialist,

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition,

Frederick, MD 21704, US

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