Pubdate: Tue, 27 Jun 2000
Date: 06/27/2000
Source: New York Times (NY)
Author: Charles Cutter

To the Editor:

Re "Into the Quagmire," by Anthony Lewis (column, June
24):

Until the American people understand that the drug issue is a social
or medical problem, not a criminal or military one, we will continue
to embrace failed policies and dangerous interventions.

When drugs are decriminalized and taxed, drug users themselves will be
paying for the support structure needed to deal with the results of
abuse.

Such a common-sense approach to the problem would yield vast benefits
to society, dramatically reducing expenditures to our criminal justice
system as well as foreign aid to reduce drug production.

CHARLES CUTTER,
Appomattox, Va., June 24, 2000

Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n854/a06.html and
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n867/a09.html