Pubdate: Wed, 16 Apr 2003 Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC) Copyright: 2003 The Vancouver Sun Contact: http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouversun/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/477 Author: Art Powell DESPITE POLICE EFFORTS, 'DRUGS ARE HERE TO STAY' The April 9 article "Nobel idea tried on Downtown Eastside" was very interesting. However, one should also consider the elasticity of the demand curve that relates to how demand changes with changes in prices. One would expect that drug users, being addicted, will pay almost any price to get their fix. Somehow, buyers and sellers will find each other regardless of police actions. Thus, increasing transaction costs will increase the price and the total money spent on drugs. This will also mean more crime and more money spent on policing. On the other hand, if drugs were to be legalized, transaction costs could be reduced, prices would come down so that most drug users could pay for their habit out of a working wage, crime would come down and policing costs would come down. Art Powell Enderby - --- MAP posted-by: Beth