Madam, - Paul O'Brien's suggestion (November 21st) that drugs should be legalised in an attempt to combat associated gun crime does not go far enough.
We know we are in a recession and, according to US figures, the international illegal drugs trade is worth around $500 billion annually. Many senior police officers have repeatedly stated that the war against drugs cannot be won. So, why can society not harness a perpetual human weakness, regulate it and tax it? If such a policy were adopted across the entire EU, the benefits could be enormous. Imagine the large number of police officers who could be assigned to other duties. Imagine hosts of redundant drug barons. Imagine, due to the fact that cannabis is the most widely used illegal drug, a happy and wealthy group of Middle Eastern farmers. As an added bonus, I suspect that healthy bank balances and thriving commercial intercourse would be a great antidote to fundamentalism. - Yours, etc,
CIARAN CASEY,
Haddington Terrace,
Dun Laoghaire,
Co Dublin.