War on drugs fruitless

Fri., May 4, 2012

Leonard Pitts Jr. in his column on April 23 had a new idea. The issue of legalization of drugs came up in the recent conference in Colombia. President Barack Obama stated it was not the answer to the international drug problem.

If drugs were legalized, prisons would be emptied, the billions of dollars spent on combating drugs could be used on our roads or bridges or even education. Pitts pointed out that in 1914, 1.3 percent of the population was addicted to drugs, and 1.3 percent of the current population is addicted.

What has the war on drugs accomplished? I know it’s a controversial subject, but maybe it’s time to think about it.

Joyce Callaway

Medical Lake

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