New Britain herald., 1930-02-21
COMMUNICATED
NARCOTICS AND LIQUOR
Liberty Draws Parallel and Offers
 Suggestion

Editor Herald:
 It is a quite commonly accepted axiom that all people are more or less selfsh-self-seei is not far seeing And to this rule the anti prohibition agitators are no excep- ton. While they shout fight and maneuver for the repeal of lesisla- ton that they themselves do not want, they totally ignore another laW-or set Of laws-that are equally obnoxious to the people af- tectcd.
 l refer 10 the laws prohibiting the sale and purchase Of narcotic drugs. Every argument that I have heard in the last ten years against the prohibition amendment can be ad- vanced against the anti-narcotic laws.
 First. they are an absolute vio- lation Of the principles of personal liberty; One has just as much right to a shot of ping" or a sniff of snow" as one has to q shot Of hooch." or a schooner Of beer or q cup of tea.
 Secondly, the anti-prohibs insist that the eighteenth amendment was put across in such way that the liquor loving people of the country did not have a chance to combat it. Certainly, nobody in his right senses will deny that the anti-narcotic laws were put across without allow ing those affected even the slightest suggestion Of a voice in the matter.
 Thirdly, the government is using millions each year 10 enforce pro- hibltion and has spent millions to enforce the anti-narcotic laws. Still both liquor and narcotics are used.
 To sum up; The anti-narcotic laws Nikc prohihition) first curtail Individual liberty; second, were passed without consent of those af- fcctod; third, cost the government millions each year; fourth. cannot be enforced and thereby, fifth, make criminals of thousands Of people who want what they want when they want if.
 know that there is a possibility of evil in the use Of narcotics just as there is a possibility Of evil in the use of liouor, but the ratio of the number Of drug users to the number of liquor users is so small that the chances Of evil are much less. We have all read Of underworld drue addicts "cokinG up preparatory tc committing some desperate Crims; | but how many cases have we our. l selves known of men who "linuo, ! up in the same way to build UT an artificial courage. Why. in ou, local police court in one day wecl Or so ago. three men were arraignec ! for beating up their wives or family after filling up on liquor. I do no ] rccollect in the last thirty years cvel reading of local case where a per son after a dose of narcotic cve1 beat up his or her family ol caused public disturbance.
 admit that drugs form a habit hard to break. but so does liquor or everybody would have stopped drinking in 1920. But I also knov that many people have been curec of the drug habit. just as man. have been cured ot tho liquo habit.
 would like to sec some of ou influential citizens, especially thos who are fighting so hard for some thing that they themselves want just give a little thought to tn other fellow. and start movemen to lift the ban on narcotics. as sure you that I am not a user o narcotics myself. but like lots o non-drinking people who oppos prohibition, l like 10 see the othe fellow just have q chance.
 Yours very truly,
 LIBERTY.
 New. Britain Conn