Pubdate: Fri, 19 Dec 2008 Source: DrugSense Weekly (DSW) Website: http://www.drugsense.org LETTER OF THE WEEK LEGALIZING DRUGS MIGHT BE GOOD FOR OUR SOCIETY By Calvin C. Acuff, M.D. I was a youngster when Franklin Roosevelt ran for president promising, among other things, to repeal Prohibition. My parents didn't want alcohol to be legalized. However, since then I have realized Prohibition was a tremendous idea, but one that didn't work because people were determined to drink and they got liquor from bootleggers, moonshiners or imported by Joe Kennedy ( making him fabulously wealthy ). Today alcohol is freely available and is controlled fairly well and taxed. I notice that people who want to smoke pot, drink alcohol and use other drugs are going to get them one way or another. The drug dealers are the ones benefitting by keeping them illegal while the government could tax these drugs and the dealers would lose their source of income. We have spent multiple billions on the drug war and we are no closer to winning than we were 20 years ago. There is the saying that to repeat the same action over and over and expect a different result is a sure sign of stupidity. If we learned something from how we dealt with alcohol, why not apply it to other drugs? One of the immediate benefits we would see is that overcrowding of prisons would end or at least greatly decrease. Lest anyone think I'm advocating the use of alcohol and other drugs, let me explain. During my 40 years of medical practice, I saw many people ruin their lives and destroy their brains. I have never seen one person who was better in any way from using alcohol and other drugs. Even one drink impairs one's judgment and functional ability. I have never smoked, tasted alcohol or used any illegal drug because there is not one benefit in any of them. I believe the only solution is to legalize and control drugs as we have alcohol. People who are determined to use drugs will get them one way or another. Calvin C. Acuff, M.D. Pubdate: Thu, 11 Dec 2008 Source: Morganton News Herald, The (NC) - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake