Pubdate: Sat, 18 Aug 2001
Source: Frederick News Post (MD)
Copyright: 2001 Great Southern Printing and Manufacturing Company
Contact: 
http://www.fredericknewspost.com/contact/contactfinalnew.cfm?contact=letters
Website: http://www.fredericknewspost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/814
Author: Ray Aldridge
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n1504/a10.html

MORALITY, DUTCH STYLE

Darnell Charlton ("Plenty of victims," Aug. 15) wrote to disagree with Pat 
Skidmore, after Ms. Skidmore wrote to say that police should not pose as 
drug dealers and prostitutes in order to entrap customers.

Mr. Charlton said, "If she had a family member die as a result of doing 
drugs, I'm sure she'd feel differently. If she had a family member acquire 
AIDS as a result of prostitution, I'm sure she'd feel differently."

I'm not so sure. Look at the Netherlands, where almost no one goes to jail 
for drug use, and prostitution is legal. The Dutch have the lowest rate of 
overdose death in Europe and the lowest rate of AIDS infection.

Ever-increasing overdose deaths and AIDS infections are just two of the 
unintended consequences of our attempt to legislate morality. Time to get 
smart.

RAY ALDRIDGE, Ft. Walton Beach, Florida
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