Advancing the Battle Against Drugs in U.S.

The column by Sheriff Brad Gates and Mr. Mike Hayde did not even mention the real reasons why the war on drugs is already lost. The reasons are: It is too expensive; there are more drugs coming into this country now than ever before; the prisons have so many drug offenders behind bars that they now have to be released to make room for the real violent criminals; too many Americans simply want their illegal drugs and will pay any amount of money for them, and the number of smugglers to meet the American demand for drugs is unlimited because there is just too much tax-free money to be made in this business.

Pouring more tax dollars into the criminal non-solution drug war only takes these tax dollars from our schools, public projects and real drug-abuse educational programs. It is time to end the useless, righteous drug war and recognize drug abuse for what it has always been: a private social problem that should be handled by the medical and social programs that should become more available when the wasted billions now spent on criminal prosecutions and prisons is ended!

There comes a time when the bottom line becomes so obvious that even those who make their living and get their power from a useless war see that their efforts have been useless over the last 30 years and other efforts must be given a chance. To continue the present holy war on drugs will bankrupt the nation and still not come closer to stopping drugs from entering our country.

ALAN ALBERT SNOW

Santa Ana