Pubdate: Mon, 01 Nov 1999 Date: 11/01/1999 Source: Calgary Herald (CN AB) Author: Allan Erickson The reality of the `mind-altering' editorial is different with y'all up there than with us down here. Down here, the notion of stopping drug use ends up with cities becoming combat zones with military-style policing. Please, don't go there. Prohibition is worse than a dead-end street. It creates a black market and the thugs take over. Then the citizenry - hopefully adequately represented by its local government - has to hire thugs to handle those thugs. Things get nastier. It will escalate. And protection will cost more and more. Allan Erickson Eugene, Ore.