'OFFENSIVE' BEHAVIOR

Regarding "Mesquite field conceals meth labs," Aug. 27:

Wasn't this sort of problem supposed to have been prevented by
prohibiting these drugs? When will our opinion leaders wake up to the
fact that prohibition not only never works, but causes much more harm
than allowing the item in question to be legally available?

Nearly all the harm done to users and non-users alike by illegal drugs
is BECAUSE THE DRUGS ARE PROHIBITED. Thousands were poisoned by
adulterated booze during Prohibition and thousands more are dying
today because of adulterated drugs, an aspect of government policy my
wife and I became well acquainted with when our 19-year-old son,
Peter, died shortly after ingesting some street heroin in 1993. Drug
prohibition encourages crime, too, as was shown when Al Capone rose to
power after alcohol was banned.

Let us never forget also that drug prohibition is racist in origin. It
began almost a century ago when the drugs used by certain non-white
minorities (blacks, Chinese, Mexicans) were banned ostensibly to
protect virtuous, white, Christian woman from being seduced by these
minorities.

Today, the police are happy to make use of this racist legislation to
control and harass those whose lifestyle and/or skin color offends
them.

The best way to reduce the harm and heartbreak of illegal drugs is to
end drug prohibition. Let's legalize all drugs, remove the propaganda
and the police from the equation and have the drugs manufactured by
knowledgeable, competent organizations who will supply cheap, quality
tested drugs of known purity and potency and who, in order to avoid
legal liability, will impart factual drug information to us and our
children.

Besides, isn't there a little something called the Bill of Rights that
should be considered here? The truth is: No government has the right
to punish anyone for ingesting anything, however harmful.

Alan Randell

Victoria, B.C.

Canada