CHANGE DARE AND ANTIDRUG LAWS

I am writing about the story "St. Charles schools rethinking DARE funding"
(Dec. 1).

Common sense dictates that the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program
should deter drug use. But it doesn't.

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

Common sense tells us that prohibiting a product reduces the use of the
product prohibited. Actually, drug prohibition has proved to be
counterproductive 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 the United States 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 strong.

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 is time for us to do something different - substantially different.

Kirk Muse

Mesa, Ariz.