Fortunately I don’t have personal experience of the devastating effects of heroin addiction but as a mother I can sympathise with Kate McKenzie, (Comment, August 21).

Surely there can be nothing worse than seeing the beautiful child you have nurtured from birth gripped by such a curse and watching them helplessly sink into further degradation. I agree wholeheartedly with her suggestion to prescribe the drug to certain addicts but sadly, as with most issues, money is at its root. Mrs McKenzie hit the nail right on the head when she referred to the rehabilitation programme that replaces one highly addictive drug with another and you have to wonder who is making a huge profit by supplying the “legal” version?

As with war and terrorism, sadly many people make their fortunes out of other peoples’ misery. Have we learned nothing from the US “prohibition” in the 1920s?

Think of the savings made by the hard pressed British taxpayer if class A drugs were legalised.

How much does it cost to apprehend, prosecute, imprison and rehabilitate criminals connected to the drugs trade?

Not to mention the enormous cost of benefits paid to former addicts and dealers who because they now have a either a criminal record or suffer from a drug-related illness are virtually unemployable.

Finally, our streets would become much safer as if drugs were legally obtained there would be no need for gun-toting gangs.

Bridget Frew
Hurst Avenue
Worthing