ILLINOIS STATE LECTURE CLAIMS FAILURE IN WAR ON DRUGS

This ain't a deal, it's a drug-based arms race.

This is the situation created by the prohibition of drugs, according
to a panel at Illinois State University. The panel discussed the issue
at a presentation last Thursday entitled "Prohibition Kills -- An
Evaluation on the War on Drugs."

"We're here to say prohibition doesn't work," said Greg Francisco, a
representative for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. "It is
well-intentioned but is a failure."

Francisco, a former member of the U.S. Coast Guard Drug Interdiction,
said he saw a trend after President Ronald Reagan started his zero
tolerance policy. He found more of the boats he searched had a lot of
weapons.

"I asked them, `Are those there to be used on us?'" he said. "They
said `No, they are for the other dealers.'"

Francisco said though the drugs are illegal and cost so much, the
dealers want to protect their sales, and it creates an arms race
between them to be able to do so.