Pubdate: Fri, 13 May 2005
Source: Knoxville News-Sentinel (TN)
Copyright: 2005 The Knoxville News-Sentinel Co.
Contact:  http://www.knoxnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/226
Author: Timothy W. Rennels
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05/n742/a03.html

PROHIBITING DRUGS JUST CREATES CRIMINALS

This is in response to the editorial "Biggest fights in drug wars lie 
ahead." Maybe that should have been titled "Biggest lies in drug wars fight 
ahead."

Karen Tandy, administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, 
told a gathering of law enforcement officers at a conference in Gatlinburg 
that aggressive pursuit in the fight against illegal drugs is paying off. 
The efforts have led to a reduction in drug use as well as the overall 
availability of drugs.

That might be nice if it were true. Unfortunately, the federal government 
hasn't gotten any better at telling the truth since the "Reefer Madness" of 
Harry J. Anslinger in the '30s and '40s.

Prohibition didn't work at the beginning of the 20th century. Almost 100 
years later, we still haven't learned that it simply creates criminals 
where there were none before.

Prohibition created Al Capone. It also created Pablo Escobar. We've wasted 
billions of dollars and countless lives. When are we going to learn?

Timothy W. Rennels

Knoxville 
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MAP posted-by: Elizabeth Wehrman