Country's war on drugs is a complete failure

In a Parade Magazine article (April 10, 2005) I noted a couple of things of concern.

First, it shows that the federal government is spending 13 times as much ($168 million versus $13) on sexual-abstinence education as we spend on adoption awareness. If we really want to reduce abortions we ought to spend more programs that have a good chance of helping. Pandering to the religious right might win votes, but it won't solve the problem. Ask any objective sociologist and you'll learn that abstinence education doesn't work.

In the same vein of solutions that don't work, the article discloses that we spend nearly 30 times more on the war on drugs than on alcohol abuse. Clearly the war on drugs is a failure. In addition, we have more people with alcohol problems that we do with illicit drug problems.

Frankly, I think we should deal with drugs just like we do with alcohol, legalize it. With the money we'd save we can educate and rehabilitate and have lots of money leftover. The biggest losers from such an approach would be the drug dealers. Here again, we pander to the right and get nothing but votes in return.

BOB WYNHAUSEN

Sandpoint