READER FROM ARIZONA OFFERS VIEW OF REINSTATED DARE PROGRAM

To the editor:

I'm writing regarding the story "New DARE Officer Steps Up To The
Plate," that ran in the Tri-Town Transcript on Thursday, Dec. 13, 2003.

Common sense dictates that the DARE program should deter drug use. But
it doesn't.

Common sense dictates that the Earth is the center of the universe and
our solar system. But it's not.

Common sense tells us that prohibiting a product reduces the use of
the product prohibited. Actually, drug prohibition has proven to be
counter-productive and substantially increases drug use.

Before marijuana was prohibited in the United States via the Marijuana
Tax Act of 1937, the vast majority of Americans had never heard of
marijuana.

Today, everybody in America knows what marijuana is and the U. S.
government estimates that at least 76 million Americans have used it.
About half of all high school students will use it before they graduate.

It is human nature for people to want what they are told they cannot
have, especially children. The "forbidden fruit" appeal is very powerful.

No other nation on the planet has spent more of its resources on
fighting drug abuse nor imprisoned more of its citizens for drug law
violations than the United States. Yet, no other nation has been less
successful than the United States in solving its drug abuse problems.

It's time for us to do something different - substantially
different.

Best regards,

Kirk Muse

Mesa, Arizona