Pubdate: Tue, 07 Jan 2003
Source: Vancouver Courier (CN BC)
Copyright: 2003 Vancouver Courier
Contact:  http://www.vancourier.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/474
Author: Kirk Muse

OUTLAWING DRUGS PART OF PROBLEM

To the editor:

Thanks for publishing Trevor Houlahan's outstanding letter ("Legal drugs 
would reduce crime, Letters, Dec. 29). I'd like to add that when pure Bayer 
heroin was legally sold in U.S. pharmacies for about the same price as 
Bayer aspirin, the term "drug related crime" didn't exist.

Neither did drug cartels or drug lords. These were all created by drug 
prohibition. Not the drugs.

When Coca-Cola contained cocaine instead of caffeine and sold for five 
cents a bottle, deaths from recreational drugs were rare. That's because 
the drugs were of known quality, purity and potency. Today recreational 
drugs are untaxed, unregulated and controlled by criminal gangs. Alcohol 
prohibition didn't work and drug prohibition isn't working either.

Kirk Muse,
Mesa, Arizona
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart