Legalizing Drugs Would Reduce Crime

I'm writing about Graham Cawthon's story: "Addiction fuels life of
crime for area man" (5-06-07). I submit that it's not addiction that
fuels crime but rather our drug prohibition policies. Lots of people
are are addicted to tobacco and coffee, yet very few of these addicts
resort to crime to pay for their addictions.

If we were to criminalize tobacco or coffee, the situation would soon
change.

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

But it would substantially reduce our crime rate.

Alcohol prohibition was not abolished in 1933 because it was decided
that alcohol was not so bad but because of the crime and corruption
that 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.