PROHIBITION DOESN'T WORK

Dear Editor:

Thanks for publishing Alan Randell's outstanding letter "Nothing more than
propaganda" (8-2-02).

If prohibition worked, tobacco should be the first product prohibited and
alcohol the second. But prohibition doesn't work, except to provide for
full employment for those doing the prohibiting.

Common sense dictates the earth is at the center of the universe and our
solar system. But it is not.

Common sense dictates prohibiting a product reduces use of the product
prohibited. But it doesn't.

Actually, drug prohibition has proven to be counterproductive and
substantially increase drug usage.

When marijuana was first prohibited in the US via the Marijuana Tax Act of
1937, the vast majority of Americans had never even heard of
marijuana. Now the US government estimates that at least 76 million
Americans have used marijuana and 50 per cent of all high school students
will use it by the the time they graduate.

People want what they are told they cannot have, especially children. The
lure of forbidden fruit is very powerful.

What we are doing regarding drugs isn't working. It's time to do something
different - substantially different.

Kirk Muse, Mesa, AZ