Pubdate: Monday 01 November 1999 Source: Calgary Herald (CN AB) Copyright: 1999 Calgary Herald Contact: P.O. Box 2400, Stn. M, Calgary, Alberta T2P 0W8 Fax: (403) 235-7379 Website: http://www.calgaryherald.com/ Forum: http://forums.canada.com/~calgary THE WAR ON DRUGS HAS FAILED 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. - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart