DON'T DECRIMINALIZE DRUGS

In his June 22 letter, "Decriminalizing Drugs Would Be Destructive," John
M. White wrote: "I spent 25 years as the director of an agency that treated
people addicted to alcohol and drugs." He vividly described the ill effects
of drug addiction on victims, their families and the professionals who deal
with them, and stated: "How anyone can suggest that these people would be
helped by decriminalizing drugs is, in my opinion, insane."

I must agree that decriminalizing drugs would not help such people, but
have drug laws and the agencies that treat the victims of addiction solved
this national dilemma?

Decriminalizing drugs will not end the addiction of current victims. But
removing the "criminal" element would destroy the profitability of the
illegal drug trade. Sensible people are fully aware of the ill effects of
drug use, and the possibility of addiction; that's why they are "pushed"
into taking the risk. Destroying the enormous profitability of illegal drug
"pushing" would reduce drug use to the insensible, who might take drugs
whether they were pushed or not.

Mr. White closed with: "Those who want drugs legalized need to spend one
day in the local drug treatment facility or ride with a sheriff who is
transporting an addict for evaluation." I witnessed the horrors of alcohol
addiction in our "dry" county in my youth; I have witnessed the horrors of
drug addiction all of my adult life. Laws against the sale of each had no
measurable effect. But I believe that "decriminalizing drugs would be
destructive" - destructive to the profit motive of drug pushers
unscrupulous enough to exploit the illegal drug trade.

Legalizing what Mr. White's 25 years as the director of a drug treatment
agency proves laws cannot prevent, just might save countless victims - who
would never consider experimenting with drugs in the first place, were they
not "pushed" by drug dealers.

Robert C. Currie Jr., Southern Pines