WAR ON DRUGS IS THE REAL UNWINNABLE WAR WE ARE IN

The unwinnable war that we have been fighting all of my life (I am
88) is this "war on drugs." It seems the war on alcohol, called
Prohibition, taught us nothing at all.

We support the drug lords and their prosperity by keeping drug use
and marketing illegal. This enables them to sell at sky-high prices.
Prohibition laws and enforcement made bootlegging profitable.
Gangsters killed each other over territory. Not to mention consumers
poisoned by their "rotgut."

Eventually common sense brought about repeal of this ill-conceived
legislation. What happened with Prohibition is now being repeated
with drug laws and enforcement in our times. This law causes our
police, local and federal, to be swamped with the problem of
enforcing it. This keeps our prisons overloaded, costing $25,000 (and
more) per prisoner annually.

Making drugs legal and taxable would make drug dealers as unneeded as
bootleggers already are. Legalization with taxes would mean less
expenses and more income for our local and federal governments.
Educate against drug use as we do regarding alcohol and tobacco use.

Exchange costs of enforcement for tax income.

Joe Switzer,

Franklin