Pubdate: Sat, 20 Sep 2003 Source: Johnson City Press (TN) Copyright: 2003 Johnson City Press and Associated Press Contact: http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1983 Author: Scott Russ Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) PLAGUE OF DRUGS EDITOR: I wanted to thank you for publishing the letter by Kirk Muse concerning the meth lab laws. We will never eradicate drugs from our society. Since Adam first ate the forbidden fruit, it's been human nature to experiment with our consciousness. Law enforcement has no business trying to solve social and healthcare issues. Our "War on Drugs" has turned a treatable sickness into an unstoppable plague. The plague being the "War on Drugs" itself. It only serves to exacerbate a problem that criminal sanctions will never be able to stop. Our children are in more danger now than they have ever been in regards to their access to drugs and the known quality and quantity of those drugs. Until we remove the black market aspect from "illegal drugs," i.e. legally regulate them, we will never see the crime, death and disease associated with prohibition decline. I just hope our nation figures this out before my children fall victim to another century of prohibition. Scott Russ, Baton Rouge, La. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek