Pubdate: Wed, 06 Mar 2002
Source: Peterborough This Week (CN ON)
Copyright: 2002 Peterborough This Week
Contact:  http://www.peterboroughthisweek.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1794
Author: Dave Ashby
Note: Parenthetical remark provided by the This Week editor

LEGALIZATION OF DRUGS WOULD END SEVERAL ILLS

To the editor:

Only a fool would argue with Bernie Karras ("Don't be fooled -- drugs do 
kill," Feb. 22, 2002) that drugs kill -- as do cigarettes, cars, alcohol 
and a host of other seemingly innocuous items.

It's unfortunate that with drugs, the method of obtaining them is what does 
even more damage, and to a greater number of people.

I didn't see the original letter from Alan Randell ("Banning drugs harms 
users and non-users," Feb. 8, 2002) but I imagine he made a point similar 
to the following: if you legalize drugs (all drugs), you make it possible 
for the users to get their pleasure legally, with safety, and at a 
reasonable cost.

I would guess that cocaine, for example, could be manufactured in safe, 
sterile conditions by any number of drug companies, sold at a similar price 
to alcohol (and at the same outlets) and purchased legally by anybody 
looking for a different level of euphoria from that provided by alcohol or 
cigarettes.

Yes, there would still be cases of people killing themselves with drugs, 
just as there are millions, every year, killing themselves with freely 
available cigarettes and booze.

With legalization, however, there would be fewer muggings for the 
exorbitant amounts of money demanded by drug dealers, fewer deaths from 
"dirty" drugs and far less crime in general.

Let's face it -- an overdose of drugs is no different from an overdose of 
rich food in that either one can kill you.

Dave Ashby, Peterborough

(That's a pretty tough sell.)
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