U. S. SHOULD SEE HYPOCRISY OF WAR ON DRUGS

Thanks for publishing Jeffrey A. Singer's outstanding May 31 letter,
"F.B.I. reshuffle shows bankruptcy of war on drugs." It is widely believed
that prohibiting a product reduces use of the product prohibited. On the
contrary, drug prohibition has proven to be counter-productive and increase
drug usage.

Before marijuana was prohibited via the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, the vast
majority of Americans had never even heard of marijuana.

Today everybody in America knows what marijuana is and the U. S. government
estimates that 76 million have used it. Half of all high school students
have used it by the time they graduate.

It is human nature for people to want what they are told they cannot have,
especially children. The "forbidden fruit" appeal is very strong.

No other nation on the planet has spent more of its resources on fighting
drug abuse nor imprisoned more of its citizens for drug law violations than
the United States. Yet no other nation has been less successful than the
United States is solving its drug abuse problems.

It's time for the United States to do something different.

Substantially different.

Kirk Muse, Mesa