Source: Irish Independent Contact: http://www.independent.ie/ Pubdate: Tue, 21 Apr 1998 DRUG WARS DON'T WORK BUT THEY CERTAINLY COST PLENTY Sir - It's truly sad to see the Irish imitating the drug prohibition of the United States. Due to Reefer Madness law enforcement, the US now has an incarceration rate second only to Russia. The land of the free and the home of the brave is being turned into a police state filled with gulags by a mindless crusade against drugs that has never worked and can never work. If Ireland continues in the braindead path endorsed by George Maybury and other prohibitionists, it won't be long before you are spending more to imprison drug users than on education and other public services. Drug wars don't work, but they cost plenty! One other thing, in a few years time you'll have more drugs, drug users and drug addicts in Ireland than you ever imagined possible. That's the way prohibition works. Ralph Givens [sic], San Francisco