Your article on the G8 summit meeting (May 18) contained a quote from French President Jacques Chirac: "None of the countries can take the risk of removing prohibitions against drugs. In the interest of our youth, we must reaffirm them."

Mr Chirac displays his ignorance of the facts. Everywhere cannabis
laws have been liberalised, including The Netherlands and several
States in Australia and the United States, drug-related problems have
remained steady or decreased.

Moreover, criminalising young people for experimenting with the wrong
drugs (primarily cannabis) while purposely creating profitable black
markets that inevitably prey on schoolchildren is about as much in the
interest of our youth as the continued testing of nuclear weapons.

Of course, Mr Chirac thought that was a good idea,
too.

David Hadorn