DRUGS AREN'T THE ONLY ADDICTION

Editor,

Daily Herald:

Police Chief Dale McFee is incorrect when he states that addiction
needs to be addressed in order to reduce crime in Prince Albert (Crime
in P.A., April 12). Of course, addictions need to be addressed, but
addiction has nothing to do with crime - prohibition is fueling crime.

Everyone knows this to be true. Many people are addicted to many
things like cigarettes, sugar and Tim Horton's coffee but these
addictions do not result in crime. Why? Because prohibition isn't
making the substances unaffordable.

Some people will no doubt see this as a good thing, however, but
continuously forcing the price of street drugs up, making the
acquisition more difficult and dangerous, what did everyone expect to
happen? Crime to go down?

Imagine if coffee was prohibited tomorrow. What would you pay for your
morning cup? Would you be surprised if a black market developed?

Stop the hypocrisy of treating some drugs as morally wrong while
encouraging the use of other drugs like coffee, sugar, chocolate,
nicotine and alcohol. The continued oppression of people that choose
different forms of intoxication than the 'standards' will only lead to
more problems.

Moe Brondum,

North Battleford, Sask.