ELIMINATING PROHIBITIONS WOULD ELIMINATE DRUG TRADE

I'm writing about Jerome Kellner's thoughtful Sept. 30 letter. I agree police
are incapable of eliminating neighborhood drug dealers.

There's one law, if passed by Congress, that would completely put the illegal
meth labs out of business overnight. That would be a law making
pharmaceutical-grade amphetamines legally available in local pharmacies for
pennies per dose.

Ninety years ago when all types of recreational drugs were legally available in
local pharmacies for pennies per dose, we didn't have clandestine drug labs or
drug-related crime.

Increasing law enforcement efforts is only making the product more profitable.
Hawaii, Oklahoma and Missouri have some of the toughest anti-meth laws in the
country, yet meth use is at record levels in Hawaii, Oklahoma, Missouri and
dozens of other states.

Prohibition doesn't work. It never has and never will, except to assure full
employment for those doing the prohibiting. When alcohol prohibition ended in
1933, the U. S. murder rate declined for 10 consecutive years. Have we learned
any lessons? Not yet.

Kirk Muse

Mesa, Ariz.