Re: The War Isn't Working, editorial, July 28. P. Armstrong, in his letter of July 29, makes a clear case for legalizating drugs. Over and over again we have seen that if there is a compelling public desire for a product or service which may even be considered antisocial, it is catastrophic for governments to ban it. Yes, legalize it, but tax it to the point where bootlegging is about to cut in and make it a little less convenient to obtain, so that only the most dependent will be users. We all know the story of alcohol prohibition. On the other hand, the battle with tobacco has been relatively well handled through a combination of education and taxes. A well-conducted program of taxing and education for drugs would yield much-needed revenue as well as reduce law enforcement costs. Alex Taylor, Toronto. [end]
More people are using the potentially deadly drug, and most of the users are young people. While thousands of young partygoers were dancing in a rural nightclub in Travis County last weekend, a deadly chemical reaction was occurring in 22-year-old Jason Scheiring's body. The Travis County medical examiner's office ruled Friday that Scheiring died Sunday after overdosing on four blue pills of Ecstasy. The drugs apparently caused Scheiring's heart to beat abnormally, hampering blood flow to other organs, deputy medical examiner Elizabeth Peacock said. [continues 877 words]
