Pubdate: Sun, 08 Jan 2006
Source: Quesnel Cariboo Observer (CN BC)
Copyright: 2006 Quesnel Cariboo Observer
Contact:  http://www.quesnelobserver.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1260
Author: Russell Barth

PROHIBITION WILL NOT WORK

In response to John Goodman's letter responding to my letter, I would 
like to preface this by saying I don't think people should use crack 
or meth or even alcohol or tobacco for that matter.

Personally, I would add fatty foods, caffeine and energy drinks to 
the list as well, but prohibition is just simply not working.

Mr. Goodman has apparently never heard of Al Capone or Pablo Escobar. 
When something is illegal, it subsidizes organized crime. This isn't 
an opinion, it is a simple fact. I don't like it any more than you 
do, John, but it is the simple truth.

Did regulating alcohol in the last century make it easier or harder 
for kids to access booze? Much harder.

Did taking the gangsters' number one commodity away and regulating it 
reduce gun crime? Dramatically, in one day.

Has truthful education raised or lowered the number of new tobacco 
smokers? Lowered, substantially.

Has lying and exaggerating the dangers of cannabis use raised or 
lowered the number of teen pot smokers? The answer is raised. Pot is 
more popular than ever.

Kids couldn't possibly have more access to drugs than they do 
already. Take a flight on Reality Airlines to The Netherlands, where 
the teen-pot-use rate is half that of Canada.

The fact is, drug dealers don't ask for ID, and have no fear of 
losing their licence. Kids wouldn't have access to drugs if they had 
to provide a valid ID.

Quesnel has a crack cocaine problem. The police are telling us this.

Oh, that's right, police never tell lies. Especially when it comes to 
drugs, and the dramatic budget increases they are likely to get to 
enforce these absurd laws. What this whole country has is a 
prohibition problem.

In one short span, Quesnel had four home invasions and four armed 
robberies in a two-week period. Surrey doesn't even top that.

This is because illegal drugs are expensive. If we as a country spent 
even one-quarter of our enforcement, courts and jails budget just 
giving away free crack and meth at clinics, like we do methadone and 
health care, the junkies wouldn't need to steal and dealers would be 
wringing their hands wondering where all their customers are.

Crack addicts will do anything to get that next hit, including 
sitting in a clinic lobby chewing their lips, waiting for the nurse 
to come give a dose and a kind word. It sure beats prostitution, 
stealing and dealing with that creepy dealer on the corner.

Even if you regulated crack, which would make it cheaper on the 
streets, it will still cost money. However, it wouldn't if we gave it 
out free at the methadone clinic.

This stuff is as cheap as aspirin if we just hire Big Pharma to make 
a few million doses of it. Then, we have control of the junkies and 
not the dealers.

Obviously, pubs called Tweakers, where all the meth-heads would hang 
out and smoke meth, are out of the question, but we as a society, 
would just treat it like a health issue instead of a criminal issue.

It would be cheaper for you and me, easier for cops, devastating for 
the dealers, and non-hypocritical in our culture which markets junk 
food, booze, fast cars and violent movies on TV.

Why let kids have that first hit? Anyone who lets kids anywhere near 
drugs should be held responsible.

That would be much easier in a climate of regulation. Right now, kids 
can get meth at school easier than they can get a decent education. 
Think outside the box, people. If prohibition was ever going to work, 
it would have worked by now.

Russell Barth

Ottawa
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom