PROHIBITION OFFERS LESSON ON 'MISGUIDED' DRUG LAWS

To the Editor:

I'm writing about the outstanding letter from Ken Metz on misguided
drug laws.

When is the last time the Times-News ran front-page stories about
alcohol cartels engaged in gun battles in the streets? Probably about
1933, the year we terminated the disaster known as alcohol
prohibition.

If the United States and Mexico re-legalized all of our now illegal
drugs so they can be sold in regulated in licensed business
establishments for pennies per dose, would this solve our drug
problems? No.

However, it would substantially reduce our crime rate, especially our
violent crime and property crime. And it would substantially increase
our public safety.

Alcohol prohibition was not terminated in 1933 because they decided
that alcohol was not so bad after all, but rather because of the crime
and corruption that its prohibition caused. In 1933 our overall crime
rate declined substantially and our murder rate declined for 10
consecutive years.

Have we learned any lessons from this experience? Not
yet.

Kirk Muse

Mesa. Ariz.