Howard Goodman

Hooked on drugs

TORONTO — Bravo to Karen Selick (Go Ahead, Make Our Day – Jan. 10) and William Johnson (The War On Drugs Needs A Tactical Shot In The Arm – Jan. 10). Regulated distribution of drugs and prostitution is the quickest way to increase public safety and reduce crime. Unfortunately, police and conservative-leaning politicians are addicted to the status quo and will prevent this sensible reform.

Police budgets would plummet with the decriminalization of drugs and prostitution, and the high-profile undercover vice squads would disappear completely. Tough-on-crime conservative politicians would lose a reliable campaign plank that helps keep soft conservatives from defecting to other parties.

Any decriminalization initiatives will be branded soft on crime and buried, and we will continue to inflict appallingly expensive and ineffective "wars" on drugs and organized crime on ourselves. But when people are hooked on drugs, they tend to do stupid things.