PROHIBITION DOESN'T WORK IN FREE SOCIETY

Dave Peyton is right on the money in his column, "Prohibition has not
worked," in the Oct. 18 Daily Mail.

I am very much opposed to any prohibition because it cannot work in a
free society.

However, if we are going to prohibit any substance, it should be
tobacco.

The annual kill ratio for tobacco vs. marijuana is over 400,000 to
zero in the United States. Worldwide it's 3.5 million to zero.

However, the prohibition of any desired product cannot work because we
cannot nullify the basic laws of supply and demand.

If we legalize a product, it can be regulated, controlled and
taxed.

If we criminalize a product, it will be controlled by criminals,
untaxed and unregulated.

Prohibition supports organized crime at home and international
terrorists abroad.

Kirk E. Muse

Vancouver, Wash.