I have never used, possessed or traded in any of the presently illegal
drugs.

I first came into contact with a user of heroin in 1976, and quickly
came to the conclusion that prohibiting a substance was a little like
the Japanese notice against plucking the blossoms - the notice is
useless against the wind, and the prohibition is useless against the
hurricane of profit created by the law.

My first letter to the editor was written in 1976, with many and
regular attempts over the succeeding years. The editors did not
publish me until 12 years later, and my family and friends, who had
not met the user, thought I was nuts.

It was a lonely feeling.

My regularity of writing letters to the editor has remained fairly
constant, but now most of them get published, and are in good company.

The idea of creating the Media Awareness Project and collecting the
worldwide letters to the editor was imaginative and so, so helpful to
those of us who can no longer feel as lonely as I did for so many years.

We, the public, are the only force that can bring sanity to the
law.

Thank you for your potent help.

Peter Watney

Internet : petrew@pcug.org.au

Homepage : http://www.peterwatney.com

Australia