THIS WAR IS WASTEFUL AND DOOMED TO FAILURE

Contrary to June Vetter's misrepresentation, "harm minimization" isn't
predicated upon permissiveness or "mantras" ("More Help Is Needed in Moore
County's War on Drugs," The Pilot, May 28), rather the forthright
recognition that humans will persist in using drugs despite taboos and
sanctions.

This compels efficient policy that strives to minimize human suffering and
costs. The realism of this approach compares favorably with that of
official doctrine, which holds that the nirvana of a drug-free society can
be attained through absolute prohibition, zealous enforcement and merciless
punishment. Drugs' stubborn persistence after decades of escalating efforts
offers compelling evidence that this theory is unsound, and taxpayers
footing the bill for this expensive undertaking deserve accountability.

Also, one wonders if unswerving devotion to the status quo might be
influenced by the massive wealth and political power the drug war has
conferred upon the criminal justice sector, and if the prospect of reduced
funding and clout might explain resistance to change. After holding sway
for a half century, the entrenched interests may have grown a bit
possessive about their turf and smug in their sense of entitlement.

Vetter impeaches her own objectivity with gratuitous hints that reformers
are merely legalizers in disguise, and her summary conclusion that the
local dearth of addiction-treatment providers necessitates more taxpayer
funding, offered without considering the obvious alternative of
reallocating existing resources now skewed toward enforcement.

While it may be premature to scrap the existing apparatus before testing
new approaches, a tough reassessment of current policy with particular
focus on the corrupting influence of vested interest is long overdue.

Mett Ausley Jr., M.D.

Lake Waccamaw