Have drug legalizers thought it all through?

     To the editor:
      After two letters to the editor advocating the legalization of drugs in as many weeks, I just have to wonder if either of the two gentlemen have really thought this through. I challenge either of them to provide reasonable answers to the following questions that would be raised by the legalization of recreational drugs:
      1) How would Chris N. Acuma and Richard Schnackenberg control distribution of the drugs to limit access by children and control purity? If we controlled them as we do other dangerous drugs, they would have to be approved by the FDA and distributed only by licensed firms. But how would they convince any reputable pharmaceutical firm to distribute these drugs, in lieu of the litigation that would certainly arise from the ill effects of their use?
      2) What penalties would there be for those who provided drugs to underage children or distributed impure drugs outside of the FDA-approved distribution channels? If we still prosecute these people, we haven't solved the problem of incarcerating the "non-violent" offenders Mr. Acuma was so worried about.
      3) Realizing that many minorities now believe the government has or is funneling illegal drugs into their communities, how would Mr. Acuma and Mr. Schnackenberg counter the racist charges that would certainly be leveled against a government making money off the taxes of a product so devastating to the minority communities?
      4) Who would be responsible for the medical costs of those people using and addicted to the drugs? The Drug Abuse Warning Network has reported drug-related emergency room cases of epidemic proportions, and you can bet much, if not most, of this treatment is paid for with public funds. If we are to legalize recreational drugs on the principle that these people should be free to decide for themselves whether or not to use these drugs, I hope we can also hold them accountable for the results of their actions without reaching into the pockets of those who choose not to indulge.
      5) How would we control the use of drugs by those with public, high-risk jobs, especially those drugs that remain in the blood stream for long periods of time? How many hours would a person have to go after smoking marijuana before he would be allowed to legally drive a car?
     TIMOTHY S. WYGANT
     Las Vegas